


Darkest Day (OLD)

by DarkCanid19



Series: Legendary [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: Action/Adventure, Don't Read This, I suck at writing, M/M, Suggestive Themes, Yes very gay, haha original story, much much many much language
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-27
Updated: 2020-03-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 78,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22924222
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkCanid19/pseuds/DarkCanid19
Summary: Eliana, the Champion of Sinnoh, returns to her home in Galar to meet up with her old friend, Leon, who just happens to be the Champion of the region. While she has every intention to return home to her duties, something comes up that just may prove the fate of Galar -- and possibly the entire world: The Darkest Day.Her and Leon team up to find a solution to the upcoming apocalypse by seeking out the legendary Sword and Shield. But Leon's rival, Raihan, isn't letting them go off unattended; Mostly because Leon can't tell what's left from right at all.Eliana is soon confronted with the most difficult experience of her life. The Darkest Day is upon them, and it's approaching faster than she can handle.
Relationships: Beet | Bede/Hop, Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Series: Legendary [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1647550
Comments: 12
Kudos: 40





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah I'm into Pokémon. I have been for a while, but this is my current obsession that overtook FNaF and BatIM (sorry my favorite fandoms XD). While I've only played Sword up until the middle of Galar Mine No. 2, I have put a LOT of research into this. This book is unedited and poorly written. I may come back later to redo it. Maybe.

Poor Sobble was losing. And to a Charmander, of all pokémon. Its rival gave a triumphant growl, tail flaring. Sobble then began weeping.

“No! Not now, you dolt!”

“What’s the matter? Can’t control your own pokémon?”

Eliana looked up at her opponent with a harsh glare. Leon gave her a smug grin, as if daring her to say something back.

“At least _my_ pokémon has a better sense of humor than you,” she muttered. Of course, she didn’t even know if Sobble had _any_ humor, but it still meant she won the argument either way.

Leon frowned a bit. “Ember!”

Charmander summoned a small plume of fire, launching it at Sobble. The water-type’s tears alone caused enough moisture that it evaporated the flame almost immediately.

_At least it’s good for one thing._

“Sobble, Water Gun!”

The pokémon gave a small squeak, almost like it had been startled out of its emotional shock. It then let a long stream of water blast from its mouth. Charmander was hit square in the face, ensuring an immediate win. It’s knees quaked slightly, then it fell to the ground.

Leon made a sound halfway between surprised and appalled. “Return!” he shouted, putting his partner back into its respective pokéball.

Sobble was just as surprised. It blinked, looking at itself almost as if to say _I did_ that _?!_ “Sob?”

“Told you I could take you on,” Eliana huffed. She crossed her arms and waited for Leon to turn to face her.

When he did, however, he was smiling. “Type advantage or not, that was a great battle,” he stated calmly. “But that’ll change when I become Champion.”

Eliana barked a laugh. “You? Champion? When Grumpigs fly! You’re not even in the Gym Challenge yet.”

That was very true. Leon, who had just turned twelve, was finding it very hard to find a sponsor for entry in the Challenge. He had met all the requirements so far; Coming of age, obtaining a partner pokémon and all that jazz. He just needed one itty bitty sponsor and he’d be as good as gold.

Eliana, on the other hand, didn’t have time for anything like the Gym Challenge. While she herself had just obtained her partner — Sobble — she knew that her parents would never let her leave. That, and they were due to move to Sinnoh next month. Maybe there she would run in the Challenge.

She was very upset when she learned about the move. It would mean leaving home and her best friend. She and Leon had basically grown up together, dreaming of the day they could become rivals in the League. Now that dream had been crushed. The worst part about it was Leon had no clue.

“I hear the Challenge is opening for new admissions next month,” Leon said happily. “Thinking about signing up?”

Eliana’s heart could have broken right then and there. How could she say no to her best friend? But she had no choice. She couldn’t lie to him.

“No,” she replied sadly.

Leon nearly dropped his pokéball, in which Charmander resided. “What? We were supposed to go together!” he cried.

“You’ll be fine without me. Besides, Raihan will most definitely be there, so you won’t be without a rival.”

Her friend’s happy demeanor faltered. “But you promised. You said we’d do it together, you and your Sobble.” While he was too proud to cry, tears were still threatening to fall. “Why won’t you do it?”

Eliana hesitated. “I’m moving to Sinnoh,” she said quietly.

“But you said you never wanted to leave Galar. Sinnoh is so far away!”

 _A couple thousand miles apart,_ she told herself, too brokenhearted to say it out loud. “At least it’s not Unova,” she tried, shrugging. Unova was on the other end of the planet from Galar. Sinnoh was at least one of the closest regions besides Jhoto.

Leon didn’t reply. A forlorn expression was cast on his usually determined face. He was never like this. Not Leon, the soon-to-be unbeatable Champion of Galar and his stupid-looking Charizard pose.

He sighed, at a loss for words. Eliana still waited, though. Her dreams of battling in the stadiums and listening to the crowds cheer her and Leon’s name were suddenly burned to ashes. Was this the kind of future she looked to in Sinnoh without Leon battling at her side? Did they even have stadiums in Sinnoh? She heard that Alola didn’t even have Gym Challenges. What kind of nonsense was that?

“When?” Leon finally asked, not looking up.

“Next month.” _During the Challenge admissions._

Leon shook his head, giving the Sobble that was still looking around with a bewildered expression a hopeful smile. “Maybe I’ll see you when we become Champions?”

“Champion?”

“Yeah. Champion of Sinnoh. That’s your plan, isn’t it?”

“Kinda, yeah.”

Leon put both hands on his hips, back to his challenging attitude. “Then promise me this; When you become Champion of Sinnoh, you’ll come back to Galar and battle me! Charizard and I will be waiting!”

“And Intelleon and I will be happy to smother you into the dirt,” Eliana snickered. Arceus, she was going to miss this kid and his impossible dreams. The world would definitely be empty without him.

 _I’m coming Sinnoh,_ she promised silently. _And when I do, you better be ready. There’s a new Champion coming to town._


	2. Hello, Galar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliana returns to Galar for the first time in eight years on a much-needed vacation. She meets up with her old friends and exchanges some old memories.

_Eight years later…_

It was a beautiful day to go on a cruise. The sun was shining, and there were no clouds in the sky. Once in a while, one could catch a group of Starly fly by. But those pokémon soon changed into various Rookidee the farther along the ship went.

Eliana was shook out of her content state when something splashed water over the railing, getting her prized Garchomp wet. The dragon’s eyes immediately shot open, and it stood up to see who had disturbed its peaceful slumber.

A Wailmer had approached the ship, grinning mischeivously. Eliana laughed when Garchomp merely huffed and laid back down. It must not have been enough competition for his taste.

Next to Garchomp lay her Luxray. Its glossy black fur glistened in the sunlight, which was probably making it uncomfortable in all this heat. Lucario and Intelleon were next to their Trainer, intently soaking up the rays.

Eliana looked over the horizon, hoping to see some sort of sign that she was closer to Galar. But there was nothing but more ocean ahead. She sighed, resting her chin in her palm.

“Tell?”

Intelleon tilted her head, wondering why her Trainer was so down in the dumps even when they were going back home.

“Oh, I’m just exited,” Eliana explained. “After all, it’s been years. Eight, to be exact. I wonder how Leon’s doing.”

Intelleon nodded curtly in understanding. She was normally very understanding, but not much of one to talk.

Eliana tried to remember the last time she and Leon had spoken to each other. It had been a year ago over the phone. Even though she promised to call him again, things in Sinnoh had gotten a little out of hand. With Team Galactic running rampant in the streets and summoning gods out of thin air, she had gotten pretty busy.

She subconsciously clutched the one pokéball around her waist that hadn’t been emptied for the trip. Memories of her encounter with Palkia were still fresh, and it still surprised her to this day that it had chosen to remain with her. The only reason she never let it out of its ball was because she was worried about hunters and, most importantly, social media. The pokéball quivered, establishing Palkia’s presence. Even though it was a literal god, it was still very kind towards her and her teammates. That, and it towered over everyone without even trying.

She knew she could had used Palkia’s powers to get herself to Galar, but she decided it was too selfish. So she decided to take a cruise instead, hoping to get the fresh air that she had been longing for since she had become Champion of Sinnoh.

The next Gym Challenge was in six months, so she didn’t have to worry about being challenged anytime soon. She had to take a break from her duties sometime, right? Even Leon had said that he had to walk away from the buzz of the crowd after a while, and he was easily the most renowned Champion of all time. Hiding from the press was almost impossible.

Eliana decided that perhaps the limelight wasn’t really for her. Leon had been more of the social kind. And it was good for him, too, as it would be harder for him to get lost on his way to somewhere important.

She sighed again, becoming more impatient the more she thought about returning home. So to take her mind off of things, she went to address her team.

“Alright, guys. And gal.”

Intelleon rolled her eyes playfully.

“I know it’s a long way from Sinnoh, but this is my home. I’m sure some of you aren’t from Galar, so some people will want to take a good look at you.” Eliana glanced at Luxray purposely, earning herself a smug grin from the lion-like pokémon. “Our first priority when we get there is to go to Hammerlocke, where we’re supposed to meet up with a friend of Leon’s. So please, don’t go running off to sightsee.”

All four of them either nodded or growled in approval, though Garchomp’s reply was a bit poorly timed because he was still slightly waking up from his nap.

Lucario aimed a paw to the horizon. “Lu!” he grunted, trying frantically to get its Trainer’s attention.

Eliana followed his gaze across the water, gasping when she saw the outline of Galar’s coast. Arceus, she’d never forget this view. It was by far one of the largest regions, with a unique culture to fit it. She couldn’t wait to hit the curry pot when she got the chance to.

But first, reuniting with her best friend.

_•••_

“Hop! What’d you do with my hat?”

“Which one?”

Leon rolled his eyes. “The white one, you little bugger.”

Charizard made a rumbling growl beside him. It was his way of laughing.

Hop walked by, tossing his brother’s hat back to its respective owner. “Just messing around, Lee. Nothing to get too worked up over,” he laughed.

Leon put the hat on, adjusting it so that it was just perfect. He reached out to ruffle up Hop’s hair.

“Hey! Just cuz I’m short doesn’t mean to treat me like I’m a kid, you know!” he protested.

“You’re twelve,” Leon argued, taking a step back.

Hop’s hair was now a flurried mess. The young Trainer made a huff of annoyance as he tried to fix it. “Still not a little kid.”

“Close enough.”

“Oh yeah? You were thirteen when you became Champion!”

“Don’t remind me how old I am,” Leon muttered, half to himself. “The youngest Champion on record is a ten-year-old back in Unova. Still unbeaten to this day,” he told his brother.

“Holy mother of Arceus,” Hop breathed. “I’ve already lost my chance of breaking the record. But maybe I’ll be the strongest yet!”

“Depends on if you can beat me or not. We’ll talk when you can go toe-to-toe with Charizard.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to be other than messing with me?” Hop retorted, crossing his arms.

His older brother shrugged. “I suppose so. But I’m not due in Hammerlocke for another two hours. Charizard can get me there faster than any flying taxi ever could.”

“The poor Corviknight are quivering in fear,” Hop taunted.

“Zard!” Charizard chuffed. He raised his head proudly, happy to have gotten some praise from his Trainer. He always loved showing off, and was probably the most pampered Charizard in existence. Most likely the strongest as well.

Leon stroked his pokémon’s snout. He’d never forget how soft and leathery the scales were. It just pained him to know that half the reason there weren’t any others of its species around in Galar was because they were hunted for their skin. Who would be so heartless to do such a thing to such a majestic and powerful creature? He had gotten his Charmander straight from a sanctuary in Kanto, where they were raised in peace with others of their kind. It reminded Leon of the dragon sanctuary inside Raihan’s gym. That man always had a soft spot for those brilliant creatures.

“You’re too obsessed with that thing,” Hop sighed.

“Obsessed?” Leon scoffed. “He’s only the most precious thing to walk the earth!” As he said this in the most babyish way ever, he and Charizard touched foreheads. The dragon growled in delight, tail swaying happily.

“He’s gonna set the whole house on fire if you’re not careful.”

“What? Charizard? Never!”

“Char!”

“Explain that to the bush he burnt to a crisp when you got here.”

Charizard’s eyes widened for a split second. He puffed out a plume of smoke in embarrassment. Leon pet him to give him reassurance.

“He was just excited to be home,” he explained. “He’d never do that on purpose.”

Charizard sneered at Hop, determined to make him feel less superior. Yet the young Trainer persisted to stick his tongue out at the pokémon. Charizard huffed, looking at Leon and begging him to do something about this young, edgy child.

“Don’t _you_ have some training to do before you start your Gym Challenge?” Leon asked. “Big baby,” he added under his breath to Charizard. His partner did his equivalent to a scoff, looking away with a haughty attitude.

Hop gasped suddenly. “Oh yeah! Scorbunny is gonna wreck the Grass Gym!” He then turned tail and ran out the door, not even bothering to shut it behind him.

“What am I gonna do with him?”

“Charizard.”

“Don’t you dare give me that attitude, young man!”

“Char!”

“We’re _not_ going to set him on fire—”

•••

She was instantly bombarded with people. Eliana wanted to run from the noise of a thousand people asking her questions all at once. Even her pokémon, who were used to this by now, were unsettled. Intelleon tensed beside her, glaring at the crowd.

She smiled meekly, trying to make her way around everybody. She was asked to sign stuff, people begged to pet her pokémon, and they were desperate to know what the Champion of Sinnoh was doing in Galar.

 _Can’t someone just take a vacation to go to their homeland once in a while?_ Eliana thought sourly. She grasped the pokéball around her waist, trying to get through to Palkia. _Get me out of here,_ she told it, hoping it could catch her thoughts in all this ruckus.

“Return!” she called to her partners. At once, they retreated to their respective pokéballs through flashing red lights. Some of her fans were saddened to see them go, and it even caused some of them to disperse.

Without warning, she was thrown through a bright pink whirlpool of shapes and lights. Seconds later she found herself standing at the entryway to Hammerlocke.

“Thanks, Palkia,” she said softly. “Remind me to find somewhere to let you out later.”

The ball rocked slightly in response.

She had forgotten how absolutely humongous Hammerlocke really was. It’s blackish-gray stone walls towered in both directions, the Wild Area stretched into immense fields behind it. A couple Rookidee were perched nearby, eying the newcomer with much suspicion.

“Hello, Galar.”

Now all she had to do was find the stadium in this large mess of a city. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? Arceus, this place looked huge. She wondered how many times Leon got lost here, with his terrible sense of direction and all.

If she remembered right, the Hammerlocke gym leader was Raihan. The last time she saw him was the day she left for Sinnoh. He had made it clear that he and Leon were going to be rivals now that Eliana was moving out of the picture. His Trapinch had almost demolished Charmander only minutes beforehand. But Leon pulled through, with only the skin of his nose. Charmander had pounded Raihan’s pokémon to the ground — quite literally — only seconds before it fainted itself. Raihan had declared that he would have won if Trapinch wasn’t so distracted by a nearby falling leaf.

Eliana walked into the streets of Hammerlocke, hoping to find the stadium before the hour ended. As far as she knew, Leon could be there already. She was making her best friend wait. So she picked up the pace, heading to the largest building that she could see in hopes that it was the stadium.

“And you are?”

“Eliana. Leon said someone would meet me here?”

The receptionist gave her a suspicious glare. “Meeting who?”

Eliana hesitated. “I’m not sure.”

The receptionist looked through a couple files. After a few moments, he looked back up and set the papers down. “It appears Raihan is due to meet someone in five minutes. Wait here, then we’ll see if you’re the right girl.” He said something else under his breath, but Eliana didn’t catch it.

The Champion of Sinnoh nodded, hand reaching for Intelleon’s pokéball. She might as well have some fun while she waited.

Intelleon was a bit startled when she was brought out into her new surroundings. But she reciprocated, taking a proud stance and smiling at her Trainer.

Garchomp was let out next. Eliana decided that because of Raihan’s obsession with dragons, he might want to see him. _I wonder how much he’s changed_ , she thought. _For all I know, he could hate dragons now._

That wasn’t the case.

“A Garchomp! And a well-bred one, at that!”

Eliana turned to face the new voice. It was Raihan, or at least that was her assumption. A large Flygon was next to him, tilting its head at Garchomp.

Raihan had indeed changed a lot. He looked a lot more mature than he did eight years ago. His taste in fashion was also very different, as it stood out a lot less than it used to. His clothing was now a lot more… colorful.

“Thank you,” Eliana replied. She scratched the underside of Garchomp’s chin. Garchomp leaned into the touch, closing his eyes in bliss. “I caught him in Oreburgh City when he was just a Gible. He helped me win my first Gym Badge.”

Raihan smirked, showing his fang-like canines. “So you really did go to Sinnoh, huh?” he asked, taking the time to pet Garchomp as well. “Been wondering about you. It’s been quite a while.”

“Yeah. It has.”

Garchomp whined, adoring all the attention he was getting. He was always a huge softie, despite his menacing appearance.

“So,” Eliana said suddenly, “How have you been?”

“Oh, the usual. Taking care of the gym, kicking Leon’s ass, that sort of thing,” Raihan replied. Garchomp was practically on top of him, smothering the poor man with slobbery licks.

“So Leon beat you in becoming Champion. But gym leader suits you. How is he, anyways?”

“Busy. Hardly has a minute of time where he isn’t battling or getting lost.” Raihan laughed at his own joke. “He might have gotten lost on the way here, though.”

Eliana giggled. “Sounds like him. But he has Charizard for a reason.”

“To terrorize the crowds, maybe.” The dragon-type gym leader stepped away from Garchomp (in which the pokémon whimpered in disappointment) and gestured for Eliana to follow him. “We should check if he’s here or not. If not, we’ll wait.”

“And if he still doesn’t show up?”

“We’ll probably spend a couple hours looking for him to make sure he didn’t wind up at Motostoke or something.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me, to be honest.” Eliana put her partners back in their balls, following Raihan out of the stadium.

As soon as they did walk out, however, a low, rumbling growl made Eliana stop in her tracks. Petrified, she was too scared to see what had just threatened her.

She was instead met with a warm, scaly snout. She turned to see big blue eyes and orange skin. It was a Charizard.

“Hey, there, buddy! Are you lost?” she greeted, stroking it.

“Rizard,” it replied, sitting back on its haunches and folding its wings back. The flame on its tail was glowing brightly, indicating that it was happy and healthy.

“Charizard! Stop bombarding people!”

Eliana gasped. _Is that…?_

“Leon!” Raihan called. It was almost as if he had read her thoughts. He waved at someone unseen, a huge smile on his face. “I thought you would have been running around in the Wild Area!”

Charizard stood again, doubling back to meet his Trainer. Eliana smiled when she saw Leon. He had grown so much since she last saw him. How old was he now? Twenty?

“Sweet Arceus, look at you!” Leon ran up to Eliana, enveloping her in a huge bear hug. “Fitting for a Champion! How are you?”

“I’m great. Intelleon’s made sure that I didn’t get myself killed,” Eliana explained.

“Ah. I heard something about Galactic. Sounds like you put them in their place.” Leon was obviously very proud. His eyes shot to Charizard, who had butted his head against his back.

“Seems like you’re not the only one happy to see me. He’s gotten huge!”

Charizard dipped his head bashfully at the compliment. He gave Leon a hard, playful glare.

“Oh, go sit on a Corsola. I’m always nice to you,” his Trainer laughed.

“His body language begs to differ,” Raihan interrupted.

Leon’s eyes shot wide open. “I’d never degrade my partner!” he scoffed.

“I’m just messing, mate. He looks like the happiest pokémon in Galar.” Raihan put his arm around Leon’s neck, earning an eye-roll from the Champion.

Eliana felt Palkia’s pokéball quake. **_Let out,_** it demanded telepathically. **_See strangers. Want out._**

 _Not here!_ She glanced at Leon, then to Raihan. “Hey, you love dragons, right?” she asked Raihan.

The gym leader took his arm away, taking a proud stance. He tipped his head up slightly. “What makes you think that?”

“Oh, just a hunch. Look, I have something to show you guys. You _can_ keep a secret, right?”

“Sure!” Raihan declared.

“Nah,” Leon mumbled at the same time.

Raihan looked at Leon with a glare.

“I-I mean, of course!” Leon rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. “What’s so secret?”

“In the sanctuary. I’ll show you in the sanctuary.”

**_Want out!_ **

_Be patient!_

Raihan’s stature went from challenging to exited. He elbowed Leon, getting his attention. “Pretty girl wants to show us a dragon,” he whispered to him, shooting Eliana a fanged grin.

Her only response was an exasperated sigh. “I’m serious. If anyone sees, I’ll never be safe!”

That made their expressions become serious. Leon even frowned a bit. He looked at Raihan with the same glare that he had received from him only seconds ago.

“Alright, alright. Sanctuary it is then.”

Palkia shook again. **_Free. Want out._**

This was going to be hard to explain. Very hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are gonna get a lot more interesting from here, I promise you that ;)


	3. Of Gods and Champions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Palkia is introduced to Leon and Raihan, and the legendary befriends them (reluctantly). During a walk in the Wild Area, Eliana challenges the boys to a pokémon battle.

Once the blue light receded to reveal Palkia, Raihan’s jaw could have dropped to the floor. Leon just looked impressed.

“Palkia!” Raihan breathed. Eliana had never seen him so astonished.

Palkia looked down at the three, red eyes glowing with curiosity. **_Humans,_** it addressed, **_greetings._**

Raihan could have fainted right on the spot. Leon was even startled.

“It can use telepathy!” The gym leader stuttered a bit, trying to find the right words to reply with. “Hello,” he managed to spit out. He wanted to slap himself for being so stupid, especially in front of a renowned deity.

**_Yes. Can use humanspeak._ **

Palkia’s immense height was probably the most terrifying thing about it. Being 13’09”, along with its large claws and fangs, it could easily cause an opponent to faint just by looking at them.

Eliana put a hand on Palkia’s thigh. “I met it when I faced the leader of Team Galactic,” she said. “It seemed to like me, so it tagged along.”

 ** _Make friend,_** Palkia stated. **_No harm from time._**

“No harm from time?” Leon echoed. He seemed to have more guts to speak than his rival at the moment.

**_Yes. Brother is very strong. Much pain and destruction._ **

“It’s talking about Dialga,” Raihan said. “God of time.”

“Seems like you know a lot about it,” Eliana observed.

“Of course! I’ve studied Sinnoh culture because of their deities. Almost all of them are dragons. I know that Palkia controls space, and is the smaller of its two siblings. It has a special move called Spacial Rend — a dragon-type move — that could easily be the most powerful dragon-type move besides Dragon Ascent. It’s also a water-type.”

“Damn. That thing’s the smallest?” Leon questioned. He looked up at Palkia, taking a step back.

**_Not much. Only small portion._ **

“The three dragons of Sinnoh, Palkia, Dialga, and Giratina, created the world alongside Arceus. It’s said that the Creator himself is their father,” Raihan continued.

 ** _Correct. Arceus is father. But did not like Giratina. Much disappoint in him. Banish him to Reverse World._** Palkia gave a guttural growl. **_Very evil pokémon. Very evil._**

Raihan and Eliana exchanged curious glances. Leon, on the other hand, was slowly stepping away from the god. It wasn’t like him to run from a challenge, but he did have a bit of common sense in his actions for once.

 ** _I like new humans. Friends,_** Palkia told Eliana.

“Yeah. Friends. From a very long time ago,” she replied.

**_Make mates?_ **

Eliana blushed madly. “No!” she blurted. “Nothing like that!” If she had paid attention, she would have caught Leon’s massive embarrassment and a sly smirk from Raihan.

Palkia made a rumbling laugh. **_Joke,_** it said simply, then laughed again. **_I made joke._**

“Yeah. Great one,” Leon laughed. His was more out of fear and humiliation. He then leaned over to Eliana, muttering under his breath, “This thing is _crazy_.”

“Oh, shove off. It’s learning.”

Leon shrugged, still uncomfortable.

Raihan tore his gaze from Palkia, watching Leon and Eliana. He felt a twinge of jealousy seeing them so close to each other. “Flygon, why don’t you introduce yourself to Palkia?” he said to his partner, who was hovering safely from a distance. She whined slightly, but buzzed down to Palkia’s eye level nonetheless.

 ** _Funny bug,_** Palkia contemplated. **_I like._**

Flygon made an offended scoff. “Gon!”

But Raihan was too distracted to hear his partner ask for his guidance. He was eying Leon, a scowl visible on his face. His blood boiled and his heart clenched.

**_Human. You are troubled._ **

Raihan looked back at Palkia. It was peering down at him, head tilted to the side as a curious dog’s would. Leon and Eliana acted like they didn’t hear a word from the beast.

 ** _I only speak to you,_** Palkia explained. **_Now you speak to me. In head, as human calls it._**

 _I wouldn’t know what to say to a god,_ Raihan tried.

**_I am only what human wants me to be. I am dragon. I am pokémon. Nothing special._ **

_You govern space!_

**_Just as the Musharna eat dreams. Am I not just as unique as others?_ **

Raihan had no idea what a Musharna was, but he went along with it. Palkia’s words had some truth to them. _Your father is Arceus._

**_As every pokémon is his son and daughter. Nothing new._ **

That was also true. But there was also a myth that each pokémon had descended from Mew. It was scientifically proven, in fact. Mew was called the genetic pokémon for a reason.

**_But I am speaking to you. I ask questions. What troubles you, human?_ **

_It’s personal. None of your business,_ Raihan retorted icily. The truth was that he didn’t know himself.

Palkia only peered at him more, even leaning down a bit. It was very engrossed in examining his emotions.

“You’ve been awful quiet, Raihan,” Leon called out. “I’d have expected that you’d be talking our ears of about how great of a dragon Palkia is.”

Raihan forced a smile. “I’m fine.”

Leon seemed unconvinced. “Maybe we should talk this over without any distractions,” he offered. “Maybe a stroll through the Wild Area to get your bearings back?”

“Don’t you have Champion things to be doing?” Eliana asked.

“Rose can handle things without me. I’m sure it’ll be fine. It’s not like he’s going to summon a demon from the depths of space or anything while I’m gone, right?”

“With my experience, that would be nothing new.”

**_Tis true. Giratina summoned only moon ago by evil human. Meant to control world._ **

Eliana flinched, still touchy over the recent and terrorizing memory. A month ago she had encountered the three legendaries of Sinnoh, in hopes to defeat Team Galactic and ruin their schemes to summon Giratina back to the normal world. Even Dialga, being as tall as it was, was nowhere near as horrifying as Giratina had been. Palkia had saved her from being hit with a very powerful Dark Pulse from the beast, but only by a second to spare. She hoped she would never have to do anything like that again. Eliana looked up at Palkia, exchanging a worried glance with the deity.

“Maybe I should go,” she said. Palkia nodded, then returned to its pokéball.

Raihan barked a laugh. “Leon’s not gonna lead the way, is he?”

Leon rolled his eyes. He must still have a huge reputation for getting lost.

“It shouldn’t be too hard. Just follow the path.”

“There’s a million and one paths in the Wild Area, and a thousand cities in which they lead to. Like hell we’re going to get lost,” Leon sneered. Raihan laughed at his sarcasm.

“Sure thing, Lee. I believe you,” he replied with the same amount of venom.

Eliana groaned in exasperation. “You two are almost worse than you were eight years ago!”

Leon and Raihan both began arguing at the same time. There was something about Gym Challenges and the Championship that was said, then it transitioned back to Leon’s sense of direction. Eliana glanced at Charizard, who merely plopped down to the ground, knowing it was going to be a while before they actually got anywhere.

The Wild Area was bigger than ever. _That tree wasn’t there before. Was there always a rock here? Since when was that pokémon native here?_

Those questions and more circled Eliana’s mind as the three went along their way (six, if one included their partner pokémon). Intelleon, Charizard, and Flygon were having a conversation in their own way, keeping an eye on their Trainers as to keep them from trouble.

It had been a long time before Leon and Raihan had quit arguing. Of course, they went right back to how they were beforehand, speaking of nothing but of how simply powerful they were compared to any other Trainer in Galar.

“I’m called the Unbeatable Champion for a reason,” Leon had said. “Charizard doesn’t let anything get past him!”

“Zard!” the dragon added. He smiled vainly, earning some annoyed noises from the other two pokémon.

“Rubbish! I could pound you into the dirt anytime!”

It wasn’t Raihan who had said it. Eliana had beat him to it.

Leon smirked in that special way of his that got everyone’s heart pounding with excitement. “Is that a challenge?”

“It’s whatever you want it to be.”

Raihan pushed Leon forwards, encouraging his rival to go on with it. “Come on. I want to see how much pretty girl has improved.”

“Then why don’t _you_ fight her?”

“I don’t have time to waste on something like that,” the gym leader scoffed.

Eliana beckoned for Intelleon to join her. A silent signal was passed between them, then the pokémon took a battle stance. She spread her legs apart, tail lashing and fingers held in the formation of a gun.

Leon caught on, telling Charizard to face his opponent. “Same rules as always?” he asked, cracking his knuckles.

“Do Corviknight fly?”

The rules were simple. The Trainers were only allowed to use one pokémon, with no items, and no dynamaxing. The winner got bragging rights, which was good enough. No matter the title, no one really gained or lost anything.

But there was one rule that Eliana knew didn’t exist. She had a plan to use it on Raihan next.

“Intelleon, Snipe Shot!”

“Avoid it, Charizard! Use Dragon Claw!”

Intelleon gathered water around her hand, expelling it at Charizard with the force of a speeding bullet. But the dragon dodged it, taking to the air. His claws glowed an eerie purple, then he descended upon Intelleon. The blow was enough to make her loose her footing temporarily.

“Now use Crunch!” Leon ordered.

Eliana panicked slightly. She didn’t know Charizard’s move set anymore. But there were bound to be fire-type moves that would hardly have any effect of Intelleon at all.

“Dodge it, quick!”

Intelleon was missed by a hair. Raihan cheered for motivation, but to who it was aimed at, they didn’t know.

“Use Water Pulse!”

Charizard couldn’t dodge that one. With the type advantage, he was blown back and stunned for a decent period of time. It gave Eliana time to order Intelleon to use Aqua Tail. The water rushed over Charizard with such a strong force that it nearly blew his tail flame out.

Leon gasped. He was obviously not expecting this. “C’mon, Charizard, get up!”

Charizard slowly got to his feet again, flaring his wings in anger. It was a way of trying to intimidate his opponent. But Intelleon wasn’t fazed. If anything, it showed her that her opponent was the one that was intimidated.

“Flamethrower!”

 _Is he really that dense? How has he been Champion this long?_ Eliana shook away her doubts, not ordering Intelleon to do anything because she knew the flame would hardly do any damage.

It didn’t do anything at all. It merely was disintegrated into steam as soon as it hit Intelleon’s body. Charizard looked back at Leon with a glare, angry at his Trainer for ordering him to do something so stupid.

Leon wasn’t fazed, though. Instead, he seemed like he had just done something amazing. “I’m just getting started,” he told Eliana. “You have no idea what you just witnessed.”

Elaina frowned in confusion. _What kind of Champion uses a fire-type move against a water-type?_

“Snipe Shot, again!”

Intelleon did as she was told, or at least tried to. But no water formed. The lizard-like pokémon waved her hand as if it could get the move to work. In the meantime, Charizard was barreling towards her at full speed.

“Dragon Breath!”

Intelleon was blasted backwards a couple feet, a cry of pain echoing throughout the valley. She landed on her back, unresponsive for a couple moments. She tried to push herself up with her arms, but failed. Charizard stood triumphantly over her, blowing a small flame from his nostrils.

“How in the…” Eliana’s words trailed off, not able to find her voice.

Leon crossed his arms proudly. “It evaporated the water when the Flamethrower hit her,” he explained. “Rookie move, really.”

“That was awfully quick,” Raihan stated. “Looks like someone needs to start over their winning streak.”

Intelleon had been specially trained to fight large and fast opponents. It was a wonder how she lost. Eliana was still taken aback, gaping at Charizard and wondering how much power was hidden behind his flames of destruction. She then gathered her wits again, shooting daggers at Raihan.

“Your turn,” she challenged.

Raihan chuckled. “Are you sure about that? Flygon is pretty powerful, and I doubt Intelleon can take much more.”

“Who said I was going to fight with Intelleon?”

The gym leader’s proud expression faltered slightly. Eliana ordered Intelleon back into her ball, then grabbed the next one on her belt.

“Garchomp, let’s show him what we’ve got!”

Garchomp was immediately battle-ready. He bared his fangs at Flygon in such a menacing way that the other dragon-type yelped and hid behind Raihan in fear.

“Go on, ya big baby,” Raihan growled.

Flygon flapped herself forwards, still unsure. Eliana seemed a bit too confident for her own liking.

Eliana glanced at the rainbow stone embedded into the golden collar around Garchomp’s neck. It sparkled beautifully in the sunlight, but beauty wasn’t its purpose. She held her arm to her chest, putting two fingers to her own stone that rested in her grey bracelet.

“What?” Raihan blurted. “I thought there was no dynamaxing!”

“It’s not dynamaxing, you imbecile,” Eliana teased.

A bright light was transferred between the two stones, enveloping Garchomp in a dazzling white blanket of luminescence. His form changed right before their eyes.

“Mega evolution!” Leon cheered. “Now _that’s_ the mark of a true Champion!”

Raihan still was as confused as ever. He had no clue what mega evolution was, nor did he know that Garchomp could change form into something so menacing and stunning.

The Pokémon now had nearly its entire body covered in white spikes. Even its scythe-like arms had grown larger, now donning a red glow on the tips of the blades. Flygon, as brave as she usually was, was even shivering with fear.

“Garchomp, use Dual Chop!” Eliana ordered.

Raihan shouted in surprise. This girl wasn’t showing any mercy. “Fly!”

Flygon was missed just slightly, but Garchomp struck her with the second blow just before she took to the skies. She was plowed into the ground, dust flying everywhere.

“Dragon Rush, Flygon! Make it quick!”

“Dodge it, then use Sand Tomb!”

Garchomp’s speed was drastically increased with his mega evolution, making it easier to dodge one of the fastest dragon-type moves in existence. It then spun, whipping up a tornado of sand and dirt that enveloped Flygon in no time.

“Gon!” she screeched, trying to blow some sense into the shocked Raihan.

He shook his head, as if clearing dust from his own mind, then said, “Use your wings! Blow it away!”

“Dragon Claw!”

As soon as the dust cleared, Flygon was stricken back to the ground with a sharp blow from Garchomp’s blades. It was super-effective, as both Eliana and Raihan knew about dragon-types going against dragon-types. It was a stupid concept, really, but it worked.

“Supersonic, Flygon! Confuse it!”

The move was too quick to tell Garchomp to avoid. The dragon was hit with a plethora of ear-shattering sounds that even the three Trainers had to cover their ears for. Garchomp roared in fury, but its brain was too fuzzed up to know which way was up or down. It began using random moves, trying so hard to hit Flygon that it ended up striking itself with another Dragon Claw.

“Finish it with Hyper Beam!” Raihan shouted.

“Hyper Beam?” Eliana echoed with panic.

Flygon summoned a large orb of light in front of her mouth, waiting until it was as huge as her head until she released the destructive force upon her opponent. Garchomp had barely comprehended what had just happened before he was knocked back a couple feet. But he was still fine.

Eliana let out an exhale of relief. “Crunch!”

Garchomp shot forwards, clamping its jaws around Flygon’s wing. She howled in agony, willing the other dragon to let go. But he didn’t.

“Now spin her!”

Raihan didn’t believe what he was seeing. His precious prized Flygon was being spun around in circles so fast that the two pokémon seemed to mold together in a flurry of black, green, and red.

“Now throw it into the ground!”

Garchomp showed no mercy when he let go, making Flygon go flying away until she struck the dirt a couple yards away. She even had created a hole in the ground from where she laid.

“Flygon!” Raihan shouted, but his pokémon was far from responsive. “You did great. Return!”

As soon as Flygon was gone, Garchomp had reverted to his previous form. He let out a roar of victory, which spread throughout the valley so loudly that even the whole of Hammerlocke could have heard it.

“That’s one hunk of a dragon,” Leon laughed. “Especially if Raihan couldn’t handle it.”

“Oh, shove off, mate,” Raihan objected. He was clearly angry that he had lost.

Eliana ordered Garchomp to return, now throwing out her Luxray. The large lion yawned, then arched its back in a huge stretch.

“Another battle?” Leon asked. He was already reaching for Aegislash’s pokéball.

“No. I just thought the others should get some exercise,” Eliana explained. She then brought out Lucario. He was the only one besides Garchomp that had a mega stone, which was wore as an earring in this case. Lucario and Garchomp were the only pokémon on her team that could even mega evolve.

“How’d you figure out mega evolution? I thought it was only a thing in Kalos and Hoenn,” Leon said. “Alola, too, but they’re more about the z-moves.”

“I took a short trip to Kalos last year to find a Pyroar. No luck, though, but it was worth it when I mastered mega evolution.”

“Can someone _please_ explain what in the name of Arceus you two are going on about?” Raihan blurted.

Eliana took a deep breath before explaining the concept. “Mega evolution was discovered in Kalos. It turns out that certain pokémon can evolve into better versions of themselves for a short period of time. But it only works if they have a good bond with their trainer first. There’s certain stones for certain pokémon, like Lucario’s lucarionite. A key stone is required to activate the evolution, though.” She gestured to her key stone to emphasize. “It raises all the stats of a pokémon, which makes it perfect for battling. It looks cool, too.”

“You said it’s only popular in three regions, Lee,” Raihan said to Leon. “Why shouldn’t Galar have it?”

“Because we’re one of the only regions that has dynamaxing,” the Champion replied. “Who needs mega evolution when we have super-sized pokémon?”

“Mega evolution lasts longer,” Eliana retorted.

“Dynamaxing has special moves,” Leon snapped right back.

“But only a few pokémon have special Gigantamax forms. Besides, Alola already mastered special moves. It’s called a z-move, sweetheart.”

“Sweetheart?!” Raihan spluttered, but the other two didn’t hear him over their arguing. They were now shouting over each other, the playful demeanor long gone from their voices. “Are you two even aware that there’s no reason to argue over something that doesn’t exist here?”

“Who’s the one that owns a legendary pokémon?”

“Who’s held a seven-year winning streak as Champion?”

“Who cares?”

Raihan was still unheard. So he brought two fingers to his lips and whistled, which made even the sleepy Luxray flinch in surprise. When both Leon and Eliana looked at him, he walked forwards and pushed the two apart.

“Almost as worse as I am,” he muttered under his breath to Eliana. The Champion of Sinnoh sniffed at him, going on her way without waiting for the other two to catch up. But Raihan stopped Leon from following. “Be nice for once, will you? You haven’t seen each other for eight years; talk to each other without fighting.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed a bit, but he kept a sharp retort from leaving his lips. “And what do you suggest we talk about?”

“Anything that doesn’t involve one being better than the other?”

He shrugged. He went to leave again, but Raihan grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Don’t try anything,” he said softly.

“We’re just friends, Rai, it’s nothing to worry about.”

“I just don’t want—”

“Are you guys coming, or am I doing this trip by myself?” Eliana shouted back at them. She was already a couple yards away, heaving herself up onto Luxray.

The boys jogged forwards to meet her. Charizard flew upwards a couple feet, catching the air currents and having the time of his life. Lucario stopped to look at every wild pokémon they passed, reading their auras and trying to figure out how they were so different from Sinnoh’s pokémon. Luxray wasn’t fazed by Eliana’s weight, walking at a slow pace and baring his teeth at a Rookidee that flew by.

Eliana glanced at Leon and Raihan. “So how far are we going? I know Leon has an excuse, but does Raihan?”

“The Championships aren’t until next week. I’ll be fine,” he answered.

Leon winced. “Hopefully the public can handle my brother,” he mumbled, half to himself.

“Hop isn’t _that_ bad, is he?” Eliana asked.

“Oh, he’s great and all, but he really needs to turn the excitement and determination down a couple notches.”

“Sounds like someone I know when they were that age.”

“I was nowhere near as bad as he is!”

“I beg to differ,” Raihan laughed. Leon shot him a glare, cuffing him playfully over the head. Raihan squealed, jumping away. “Watch it! Do you know how expensive this hat was?” he growled, trying to fix what Leon had messed up.

“Go suck on a rawst berry, dragon boy. You’ll be fine.”

 _This is going to be a long trip,_ Eliana sighed to herself. Palkia’s pokéball shook a tad.

 ** _Humans funny,_** it rumbled. **_Like dragon human. Other needs to find better clothes._**

Eliana couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Palkia!” she scolded playfully.

“What? What’d he say?” Leon asked.

“At least his choice of clothing is better than his sense of direction,” Eliana told Palkia out loud.

Leon blushed in embarrassment. He looked down at himself, fixing his cape subconsciously. “I think I look fine,” he muttered, ignoring the comment on his sense of direction.

 ** _That is good joke! Tell another,_** Palkia said to them all.

The Champion’s nostrils flared in anger. Raihan was laughing so hard that he had to stop walking to catch his breath. Eliana was even giggling, clutching Luxray’s mane so she didn’t fall off.

“What would this god do if I told it I want to be an atheist?” Leon said bitterly to Eliana.

Palkia laughed again. **_Human is very funny! Should be teller of jokes, not Champion._**

“Great mother of Arceus,” Leon whined. “ _Stop_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm terrible at writing battles qwq


	4. For the Love of Arceus, Hop...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leon has a nasty run-in with a feral Corviknight, and Hop stumbles upon the scene. Meanwhile, Eliana has the chance to meet Marnie.

A couple days passed since the three’s trip to the Wild Area. Eliana had decided to stay at the Budew Inn back in Motostoke, and Raihan had gone back to his gym. Leon was now on his way to find Hop. It shouldn’t be hard, with how easily distracted his brother was. He might not even have left Wedgehurst yet.

So that was the first place Leon looked, getting there by the aid of Charizard. The dragon was very strong for his size, able to lift two grown men during flight and carry them for long periods of time. And his internal fire was enough to keep Leon warm as they shot through the sky at high speeds. Leon never got tired of flying on Charizard. He loved the way the wind whipped his face, and it was surprisingly relaxing.

It wasn’t so relaxing when Charizard nearly ran head-first into a Corviknight.

The large bird squawked in surprise, diving downwards before it was hit. Charizard stopped suddenly, nearly flinging Leon forwards. He looked down at the Corviknight, growling an apology before going on his way again. But the steel-type wasn’t impressed. It catapulted into the dragon, its sharp metal feathers cutting through his thick scales. The blow was enough to make Charizard spin mid-air, forcing Leon to wrap his arms around his pokémon’s neck so he wouldn’t fall off.

This Corviknight wasn’t going to give up. The scary bit about it was that it was more strong-looking than a normal Corviknight would be. It was even larger than the others, its red eyes glowing fiercely against its smooth black feathers.

“Fly, Charizard!” Leon shouted. “Fly!”

Charizard roared in reply, flapping his wings so hard that the dragon felt like they would fall off. The Corviknight kept at close contact with them still, flying faster with ease.

“Maybe a Flamethrower will teach him a lesson. Wait a moment.”

They continued, but the Corviknight was still gaining on them. Leon waited until it banked left so that it was in front of them before he yelled, “Now! Burn it to a crisp!”

Charizard threw a fire so intensely heated that even Leon felt it, and he wasn’t even near his mouth. The flame struck the Corviknight, causing the wild pokémon to squeal in agony. Its wings locked, then it fell from the sky as it went unconscious. Leon panicked. That wasn’t supposed to happen.

“Grab it before it hits the ground!” he said, his voice shaking with fear that the bird would die as soon as it touched the earth with how high it had fallen from.

The dragon dived straight down without warning, tucking his wings in to gain more speed. Leon tried to get a grip, but his fingers slipped as he went for the horns. Before he knew it, he fell off and was falling as well. Charizard noticed this, yelping before he spread his wings to slow down. He spun to the right, catching Leon and then going back to grab the Corviknight.

Leon was practically shivering out of his own skin. Though it wasn’t the first time he had fallen off Charizard during a flight, it was still terrifying to go through. But right now his worries were focused on the falling pokémon instead.

Charizard was getting closer to the Corviknight. He tucked his wings in tighter, even pressing his limbs closer to his body in hopes of gaining more speed. The Corviknight still fell like a ton of bricks (which was really how much it could have weighed) and was getting dangerously close to striking the dirt of a Wooloo pen.

It was only until it was mere feet above ground that Charizard was close enough to fling out its arms and grab it by the underside of its wings. The dragon struck out its own wings, banking upwards so fast that it flattened the grass below him. The nearby Wooloo panicked and fled, rolling away swiftly so they wouldn’t be hit. Charizard couldn’t control his speed, trying to aim his wings so that he could catch an air current to slow himself. But he still couldn’t stop.

They ended up crashing into the fence of the pen, turning the wood into splinters. Leon was flung forwards again, falling onto the ground a few feet away. It hurt, but he still was worried more about the pokémon.

“Charizard! Are you alright?”

“Char,” his partner called back weakly. He stood, shaking splinters from his scales. He still held the Corviknight, who was still limp as ever.

“Lee?”

Leon sat up, brushing dirt off of himself. He looked behind him to see Hop, who appeared to have casually been walking along the route.

“Oh, hey Hop,” Leon greeted simply.

“What in the name of Arceus are you doing? Trying to get yourself killed?” his brother fretted. He ran forwards to help the Champion back to his feet.

“We just saved a Corviknight.”

Hop looked past Leon at Charizard, who was nudging the fainted Corviknight to check for wounds. “What happened to it?”

Leon chuckled meekly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Well, I may have ordered Charizard to use an attack on it.” When Hop went to ask why, he added quickly, “It attacked us first, though!”

“Why do I have a feeling that you didn’t watch where you were going?” Hop sighed, smiling mischeivously.

“That’s completely Charizard’s fault.”

“Charizard!” his partner growled, almost like he was scolding the Champion. He huffed out a plume of smoke in anger.

Hop was still unconvinced. He made a skeptical frown, eying the broken fence. “Whoever owns that pen is going to have your hide, Champion or not,” he said.

“I’ll pay for the repairs, Hop. It’s not like I’m going to up and leave with it like that.”

“At this rate, you’ll be broke.”

That was slightly true. Charizard had grown too strong for his own good lately, demolishing any wild pokémon in his path with just one move.

Leon continued making sure he didn’t stain his clothes. He then undid his cape, shaking the dirt out of it so it wasn’t ruined. He didn’t need to spend the money on replacing his sponsorships on top of a broken fence. Then he realized that his hat was missing.

“Shit,” he cursed under his breath. There goes his favorite hat. What else could possibly go wrong?

“What are you even doing out here, anyways? Shouldn’t you be at Motostoke for the challenge entries?” Hop pressed.

“I was looking for you,” Leon replied. “I forgot to give you the endorsement letter. No one will believe you were endorsed by the Champion himself without some kind of proof.”

He pulled out an envelope from his pocket, handing it over to Hop. His younger brother grabbed it, staring at it as if it had come from Arceus himself.

Hop had always cherished being in the same bloodline of the Champion, let alone being his brother. He grew up in Leon’s shadow, waiting for the day when it was his turn to become Champion of Galar. When Hop thought Leon wasn’t looking, he always copied his brother’s every move that he did during a Championship Battle. Leon did notice, and he thought it was the most adorable thing ever.

The only way Hop wasn’t Leon’s spitting image was when he kept losing to every battle he came across. It crushed him, but it made him all the more determined to keep training and finally win. Sometimes when he’d return home at night, his pokémon were exhausted from battling so many wild pokémon. Even Scorbunny, who was bred to be active and a fighter, ended up crashing onto the floor and immediately falling asleep.

Leon never mentioned it, but he had been just like Hop when he was that age. He used to lose almost every battle until he figured out special tactics and type matchups. But of course Hop didn’t know. The only reason Leon didn’t tell him was because it made his little brother more intent on becoming the best he could.

“Thanks, Lee!” Hop said cheerfully. “I won’t let you down!”

“I know you won’t, little bro. But it _is_ going to be difficult once you get to the finals. That means you’ll have to fight me.”

Hop narrowed his eyes challengingly. “Once my team evolves and gets stronger, Charizard won’t be a problem,” he proposed.

Charizard huffed at that, shooting a venomous glare at his Trainer’s brother. They never did get along that well. It got troublesome sometimes, resorting to the point where Charizard would threaten to bite the young Trainer.

“Maybe so. But my challenge right now is to get this bloody bird to a pokémon center,” Leon sighed. He glanced forlornly at the fainted pokémon near Charizard and crossed his arms. “None of my pokémon can handle that. Charizard may be strong, but he’s just had quite the run-in lately.”

“Maybe your friend from Sinnoh can help?” Hop tried.

It was a possibility. Eliana certainly had some strong pokémon, but the only one that Leon could think of that was strong enough to lift this Corviknight from Postwick to Wedgehurst was Palkia, and that definitely wasn’t going to happen. Leon would offer some full restores, but he’d left his items behind at the Budew Inn, where he was staying until the championship entries had passed.

“You have you Rotom phone on you, right?” he asked Hop.

His younger brother pulled it from a pocket in his coat and waggled it. “Don’t leave home without it. You know what Mum would say if I did. She’d ground me for the rest of my life! How would I become Champion then?”

Leon chuckled. “Could you call the pokémon center? Maybe Nurse Joy can spare some time from her post to help an injured pokémon.”

“Why not?”

As Hop dialed the number into the phone, Leon walked up to Charizard and crouched down next to him. “You alright, buddy?” he fretted.

Charizard took a deep breath, not replying. Leon checked the flame on the end of his tail, exhaling in relief to see that it was still flaring brightly.

It was one of those moments when he wished he hadn’t been so stubborn as to leave behind his things. A potion would even do him good, but all he had were his pokéballs and a sour attitude.

“Well, that’s not good.”

“What? What’s not good?” Leon turned to Hop, who was holding the phone up into the air.

“No service,” the young Trainer replied. “Sorry, Lee.”

Leon cursed for the second time in fifteen minutes, which was a new high score for him. “You’re fast, right?” he suddenly blurted to Hop, who was slightly startled.

“I guess,” he answered with an unsure tone.

“Can you run to Wedgehurst and back without stopping?”

“If I tried hard enough, yeah.”

Leon gestured to the horizon, where the faint outline of Wedgehurst’s buildings arose from the vast blue sky. Hop was confused for a moment, then finally understood.

“Oh,” he said. “Right. I’ll be back!”

He then bolted off for the town, and was gone in a matter of seconds. Leon watched him with an amused expression. That kid was oblivious, but he always made up for it in determination.

 _Please don’t get distracted,_ he pleaded silently. _Corviknight’s life depends on it._

•••

Eliana sighed contently, letting herself sink into the comfortable mattress in her temporary room at the Budew Inn. The room itself was absolutely astonishing, fancy albeit bland. After all, this was where gym challengers, gym leaders, and even the Champion himself stayed at certain periods of time. And with the championship entries starting in three days, the other rooms were occupied with other Trainers. It got loud sometimes, for they would be battling their pokémon in their own rooms, paying no attention to the destruction it caused.

Yesterday, Eliana had caught sight of a peculiar boy in the lobby. While he was only twelve, he looked a lot older than he really was. Tired bags were under his purple eyes, indicating that he hadn’t slept for a long time. His hair was strange, as it was arranged in such a way that he looked like a guy wearing a grandma’s wig. His choice of fashion was also quite unusual. He always wore this large dark pink coat that seemed a bit too large for him. It wasn’t exactly natural for boys to wear pink, but Eliana didn’t judge him by it. It couldn’t be worse than Leon’s casual clothing choice.

She had run into him as she walked into the Inn after a long walk with her pokémon. He merely gave her a withering glare before shouldering past and walking out into the streets of Motostoke.

“Someone’s in a bad mood today,” muttered a voice from behind Eliana. It was thick with a Galarian accent.

The Champion of Sinnoh turned to see a teenage girl sitting on one of the chairs. She was tossing a pokéball in her hand like it was a baseball of sorts. She wore a sort of punk style, her hair a dual color set of yellow and black.

“Is he always like that?” Eliana asked her, taking a seat nearby.

“Oh, Bede’s always acting like he’s got a Maractus shoved up his arse. He may be endorsed by the chairman, but that doesn’t mean he gets to treat everyone like they’re just a pile of dirt.” The girl looked at Eliana with a curious stare. “Name’s Marnie. What’s someone like you doing here? Looking to join the gym challenge?”

Eliana shook her head. “Nah. I’m already Champion of one region. Plus, I’d hate to ruin Leon’s reign as the Unbeatable Champion of Galar. I wouldn’t do that to my best friend,” she explained.

Marnie’s eyes widened. “Champion? Of what region?”

“Sinnoh.”

“Would you look at that… Talking to a Champion and I didn’t even know it.” She gave a breathless chuckle. “What would Piers say to that?”

“Is there anyone else here that was endorsed by someone important? Say, by Leon, perhaps?”

Marnie arched a brow. “Can’t say I’ve seen them. What do they look like?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen Hop since he was four years old.”

A moment of silence passed between them as Marnie thought. Eliana thought that she was probably the most mature kid around here in the Championships. Who had she been endorsed by?

“What’s a Champion of Sinnoh doing in Galar?” Marine suddenly asked.

“Visiting my old home region and a couple friends. Eight years goes by pretty quick when you’re busy fighting off a bunch of pokémon thieves.” Eliana tapped Palkia’s pokéball, making sure it was still awake.

 ** _I am here,_** it said. **_Always here._**

_Just checking._

Suddenly the doors to the Inn burst open, revealing a woman donned in a gym leader’s uniform. She had an irate expression, blue eyes burning with hatred for something in particular.

“Anyone know where that wanker Raihan is?” she shouted to the entire lobby. She got hesitant head shakes from various people, which only fueled her anger. “Bloody son of a Grimer’s always showing up late,” she hissed under her breath, storming out the door again.

“Damn. Nessa’s got some attitude,” Marnie said to Eliana.

“Nessa, huh?” Eliana said to herself. She’d heard of her, knowing just enough to tell that she was the water-type gym leader in Galar. She only knew about her from Raihan, who had dated her temporarily once upon a time.

She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her many contacts as to find Raihan’s number. When she finally found it, she texted him, _Nessa’s looking for you. Got something important going on?_

A couple minutes of silence. Then a reply from Raihan.

_Is the meeting today?_

Eliana didn’t know what that meant, but she assumed the worst and answered, _Possibly. Is there some conventional gym leader’s meeting that happens before the entries?_

There wasn’t a reply for a while. Eliana assumed that the gym leader had panicked and was making his way for Motostoke right this moment.

“My brother usually skips the meetings,” Marnie said. “He doesn’t care for confined spaces with people he doesn’t like.”

“Who’s your brother?”

“Only the worst possible singer in all of Galar. Honestly, Piers has the singing voice of a Croagunk. I don’t know how he ended up being a gym leader at all.”

“Is that who you were endorsed by?”

A hesitant silence. “Yeah.”

By the tone of her voice, it appeared that she didn’t want to talk about it. Common sibling issues, Eliana supposed. It must be the same way for Hop, with his brother being the Champion and all.

A loud, somewhat muffled crash sounded from outside. Eliana stood from her seat, trying to peer out the door to see what had happened. She could make out a green and red shape on the ground, sitting on top of a black one.

Walking outside, it was revealed to be Flygon who had fallen onto Raihan. The poor dragonfly was wheezing for breath, almost as if she had just flown a thousand marathons. Raihan was struggling to wiggle out from underneath her, but the weight of his partner proved to be too much.

Eliana laughed, revealing herself to the gym leader. “Problems?” she giggled, walking forwards to help him out.

“Sod off,” Raihan growled, but grabbed her hand for support anyways.

In no time, he was out from under Flygon and dusting himself off. His sweatshirt was now wrinkled, even ripped in some places. He cursed, taking a look at himself.

“I suppose that what I get for being late,” he sighed to himself. “Sorry, girl. That was a bit fast, wasn’t it?”

Flygon gave her Trainer a scornful glare. She sniffed disdainfully, turning her head away from him. Raihan chuckled meekly, letting the pokémon return to her ball.

“There you are!”

“Oh, Arceus help me.”

“Oi! Get your arse over here! We’ve been waiting for over an hour now!” Nessa screeched, stomping over to Raihan. The dragon-type gym leader whimpered in fake fear, letting himself be dragged away by his ex. He waved pitifully to Eliana, shrugging.

“Blimey.”

It turned out that Marnie had followed her out. She watched the two go with a shocked yet calm expression. “That man’s got some issues,” she stated.

“He’s… different,” Eliana tried defending, but she knew this strange girl was right. “But we’re all different in our own special way.”

“Whatever you say.” With that, Marnie walked away, still tossing her pokéball in one hand.

Eliana forgot about how Galarians were more quick to flip out than others. She was lucky that Leon and Raihan acted more like they had come from different regions. Leon more than Raihan, for the gym leader was often snappy when he didn’t get his way.

Now, a day later, she was bored out of her skull and wishing that she had something to do. Her pokémon’s company only cheered her up to an extent. She let out a distressed exhale, rolling over to her side and letting her arm dangle over the edge of the bed. Luxray opened one eye halfway from his sleep at her movements, then went back to his casual hibernation. If he wasn’t sleeping, he had to be eating. Eliana had just recently lost half her lunch to the damned lion, but she was too busy laughing at him when he ended up spilling the plate of curry onto himself to scold him for it.

Lucario was the silent type. He mostly communicated through aura, or in more desperate situations, telepathy. The pokémon enjoyed anyone’s company, really, but he usually stuck to Eliana because of trust issues. His previous Trainer had abandoned him out of nowhere, leaving him waiting in the frigid cold air of the winter for them to return. Eliana had found him standing in place, not budging against the wind. It had appeared that he hadn’t budged in days, snow even piling up at the wolf’s ankles. Now, six years later, he was one of the most loyal pokémon on her team.

Garchomp was a huge showoff. While he loved battles, he loved snuggling as well. He did anything that involved displaying his strength, eagerly shoving one of Eliana’s pokémon aside from a battle just so he could replace their spot. Training him from a Gible had been the hard part; The dragon-type was determined to sneak his way into any battle, wether he was too weak for it or not. It usually ended up in him being struck by a stray move. While he was more disciplined these days, he was still quite troublesome.

Intelleon had always been Eliana’s first partner. Ever since she was a Sobble, she had instantly bonded with her Trainer. Soon she was hardly ever breaking down into tears, becoming a formidable opponent in the Sinnoh Championships. It was until she evolved into a Drizzile that she became more of an independent creature. Eliana always thought it was the pokémon comparison to the teenage years. But now, Intelleon was the most thoughtful and accurate when it came to dire situations. She was Eliana’s go-to pokémon in a battle that required speed and accuracy.

Palkia had never been used in a battle. It usually remained in its pokéball, never coming out at all until there were no people around to catch sight of it. The only other people that knew Eliana had him were Leon and Raihan, and they were lucky that Palkia trusted them at all. Arceus, being the justified father he was, taught Palkia and his siblings to hate the human race for the destruction they caused against nature and other pokémon. Palkia was somewhat of a rebellious child. It was Dialga that followed the rules, unlike his other brothers. Giratina had taken it too far, getting himself banished to the Reverse World in the process. Palkia always said that if its father found out where it was, it’d most likely suffer the same fate.

Eliana kept the sixth spot on her team open for something special. While Palkia was great and all, she needed a pokémon that could actually be shown to the public, yet be as powerful as can be. Half the reason she came back to Galar was to find that pokémon. She had grown up listening to stories about the hero that saved Galar from the Darkest Day with nothing but a sword and a shield. Some say that those weapons were rather pokémon, who remained hidden to the naked eye. Eliana was always told as a child that if she went into the Slumbering Weald without permission, the Sword and Shield would find her and punish her for her antics.

That memory reminded her that she had to return to Postwick. She suddenly shot up into a sitting position, which startled Luxray and the other pokémon from their peaceful slumber.

“Hey guys, what do you think about a trip to Postwick for today?” she asked them. Her replies were yawns and tired whines. Lucario was the only one who was alert enough to catch all of it.

 ** _I sense something wrong with that destination,_** Palkia warned. **_Something terribly wrong._**

“Maybe they just need help,” Eliana replied.

**_Perhaps. But if you get yourself in danger, I won’t say I told you so._ **

_Look at you, learning human sayings._

**_That is my duty while I am here. I shall be smarter than brothers. Maybe I can teach Father not to hate you humans so much._ **

_Sounds like a plan._

Eliana stood, stretching her back. “C’mon, guys. It’s not that far.”

Luxray yawned louder this time, a chorus of more yawns from the others backing him up. Their Trainer ignored it, putting them back into their balls before leaving her room.

“Oh. It’s you.”

Eliana raised her head from the doorknob, interrupted from locking it. She saw the same boy from yesterday, a Solosis at his side.

“Hello,” the Champion of Sinnoh greeted.

The boy, Bede if she remembered right, sniffed at her. “Just stay out of my way, and we won’t have any trouble,” he growled.

Eliana arched a brow. “I’m sorry. Did we get off on the wrong foot? I’m sorry for bumping into you yesterday. Maybe we can start over—”

“I don’t… want to start over. Please, if you ever see me, just ignore the fact that I exist, alright?”

Bede didn’t wait for a reply. He turned on his heel and stalked away, his Solosis hovering at his heels. Eliana watched him go with a lost stutter. She then shrugged, going back to lock the door.

“Sketchy kid,” she said to herself.

**_Definitely up to something._ **

_Oh, keep your trap shut. He’s probably just acting that way because it’s his personality. He can’t help it._

**_Perhaps._ **

“Perhaps” was one of Palkia’s favorite words. It got it out of any argument, or it left Eliana on a cliffhanger while she waited for another response. It usually meant that the god of space knew something she didn’t.

As she waited for the elevator, she asked, _Do you think there’s more to him than he shows?_

**_Most definitely. He’s hiding something. Something not good. Not good at all._ **

This conversation was easily forgotten by Eliana in a matter of minutes. She wouldn’t remember it again until it was too late.

The trip to Postwick was in fact very short thanks to the help of a flying taxi. The Corviknight carrying it was especially kind and loved being fed berries. Eliana happily obliged, and the bird had gotten the biggest meal it had had all day.

The next Corviknight she saw on her trip wasn’t as healthy or kind.

She was walking from Wedgehurst along a simple dirt path, admiring the scenery. That is, until she spotted Leon and a broken fence. Charizard was nearby, hovering over another large shape.

“Leon!” she called to him, speeding up.

The Champion looked in her direction. He kept his stressed expression, giving a halfhearted smile.

“Hey, El. Fancy seeing you here. I reckoned you’d be off in the Wild Area looking for a new addition to your team,” he said.

“I was exploring,” Eliana replied, “but then I saw you.”

She looked over at Charizard, gasping when she saw the fainted Corviknight.

“Sweet Arceus! What happened?”

“Nothing important. I’m trying to get it some help, but Hop’s been gone for over a half hour now.”

“Hop? I didn’t see him when I went by.”

“Of course you didn’t.” Leon sighed in exasperation, running a hand across his face. Eliana had never seen him like this before. It was scary to see the usually upbeat Champion in such a tense and worried stature.

“I have a revive in my bag,” Eliana offered.

Leon’s face instantly lit up with newfound hope. “Can you spare it for him?”

He didn’t have to ask twice. She was already swinging her bag over her shoulder by the time the words left his mouth. Eliana rummaged through the contents, tossing aside unneeded items and belongings until she caught sight of the familiar yellow crystal. She exclaimed in triumph, holding it into the air.

“Behold!” she laughed, handing it to Leon.

The man grabbed it eagerly, turning to Corviknight. By then the bird was wheezing for air, sweat beading on its dark silver feathers.

“Should I look for Hop?”

“No. It’s a lost cause now. He’s probably halfway across Galar by now, if I know him well enough.” Leon fed the fainted pokémon the revive, waiting patiently for it to wake up. “I love the poor kid to bits, but he really needs to set his standards correctly.”

Eliana crouched down next to him, eying the Corviknight with uncertainty. “He’ll figure himself out. Eventually.”

By now, the Corviknight was blinking its crimson eyes open. It looked at Eliana, unsure about her. But as soon as its eyes landed on Leon, it could have killed him with just a single glare. It reared, screeching bloody murder. The two Trainers jumped back to avoid a slashing talon.

“What in the name of all things unholy did you _do_ to the poor thing?” Eliana yelled, rolling out of the way of another slice.

Leon screamed in terror when the Corviknight bolted for him. It was thanks to Charizard that he wasn’t cut into bits by the wild pokémon’s metal feathers. The dragon tackled it, sending it away a couple feet. But the bird still prevailed, hissing and snapping its beak as a display of intimidation.

 _Steel-type,_ Eliana said to herself. _Steel is weak to fighting._ At this discovery, she grabbed Lucario’s pokéball and let out the pokémon.

“Don’t cause it to faint. Just give it something to remember us by,” she told him.

“Lu!”

Lucario summoned an orb of light between his paws, focusing on it to absorb more power. It then pushed it forwards to the Corviknight, the Aura Sphere striking it square in the chest. The bird howled in pain and anger, flapping its wings to right itself. It didn’t do as much damage as Eliana had hoped; It was also a flying-type, which nullified the super-effective use of fighting-type moves. This Corviknight was strong and persistent.

“Raihan’s Gigalith would be pretty useful right now,” Leon stated.

“Raihan’s not here!” Eliana retorted, then ordered Lucario to use Bone Rush.

Then out of nowhere, a blast of fire struck Corviknight on the port-side wing. The bird growled, turning to face its new third opponent.

“Great hit, Scorbunny!”

“Hop?” Both Eliana and Leon had said it at the same time.

Leon’s brother appeared to have come out of thin air. He seemed very determined, though his Scorbunny was most definitely going to lose against this powerful Corviknight.

“Ember, again!”

The flame bounced off of Corviknight with an audible _tink._ Hop’s smile faltered, retreating to a look that read, _that wasn’t a good idea._

“Hop, this isn’t the time to act brave,” Leon called to him. Eliana elbowed him roughly in the ribs for being rude.

“Corv!”

The giant pokémon advanced on Hop, paying no attention to Scorbunny. It was smart, knowing that the source of the problem was the Trainer himself. Hop screamed and threw himself to the ground just as Corviknight vaulted over him. The sharp feathers missed him by a hair.

That was when Leon panicked. “Screw getting the thing to help,” he cried. “Just get rid of the darned thing!”

Charizard acknowledged, summoning a hot flame from his throat and forming a Flamethrower. Eliana watched as Lucario took over for himself, blasting Aura Sphere after Aura Sphere at his opponent. It was only until Charizard’s attack struck it that the Corviknight finally took to the skies. Though it remained hovering above them for a while before giving up and flew swiftly away.

“Hop!”

Eliana saw Leon rush up to his younger brother. The Champion helped Hop to his feet, checking frantically for any wounds.

“Lee, I’m fine,” Hop said. Yet Leon persisted to check him over.

“Thank goodness you’re not dead. Now I get the chance to kill you for being so stupid.”

“Leon, simmer down,” Eliana scolded. “He’s just a kid.”

“Yeah. It’s just a scratch.”

Leon’s eyes widened. “Where?” he breathed, beginning to start over his process of looking his younger brother over.

Hop rolled his eyes, pointing to a small scrape just above his brow. It looked like a paper cut more than anything else, and still Leon freaked out over it. The Champion even went a little pale.

“Mum’s going to kill me if she figures out what you just did. She’d kill both of us! Where even were you for the past half hour?”

“Nurse Joy was already out to look at another pokémon,” Hop explained. “I would have been back sooner, but some kid pressured me into a battle.” He gave Leon an innocent smile.

“Dense son of a Magikarp,” Leon muttered under his breath, but said nothing more. The retort did earn him slightly hurt glare, though, on top of a cuff over the head by Eliana.

“He’s your brother! Stop being so rude!”

“Nah, he always treats me like this,” Hop sighed. It wasn’t a sad comment, but rather a playful one.

Eliana still shot daggers at Leon, appalled by how Hop was being handled. “He’s not your rival, for Arceus’ sake!”

“He might as well should be, given that he’s probably going to make it to the Finals.”

“Probably? What’s the supposed to mean?” Hop asked suddenly.

“Leon,” Eliana growled through gritted teeth before the Champion could reply. Leon shut his mouth instantly, only slightly intimidated.

“Now,” The Sinnoh Champion stated, “back to Motostoke. I ran into Raihan on the way out of the Budew Inn, and he told me he wants to see you as soon as possible.”

Leon frowned slightly. “That can’t be good,” he mumbled.

“I’m supposed to be at Motostoke tomorrow,” Hop said. “But I doubt I can make it in time to sign up.”

“Oh, I’ll find a way.”

**_Teleportation it is, then._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Those damn Corviknight


	5. Wishing Stars and Legends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliana discovers an old book on Galarian legends under her hotel room's bed. Curious to learn more, she goes to the Motostoke library and runs into Raihan, who happens to be studying the history of dragon-types. As they talk with each other, though, Eliana discovers that Leon and Raihan's relationship may just be a little more than friendship. Meanwhile, Leon has a tense meeting with Chairman Rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope y'all aren't homophobic XD

The scream that both Leon and Hop made after the three had teleported was priceless. Never before had Eliana seen Leon so terrified. To save her hide from being discovered, she came up with the excuse that she had a powerful psychic-type on her team so Hop wouldn’t get suspicious.

Eliana retreated to her room in the Inn while Leon went to join Raihan and Hop had gone to sign up for the challenge admissions. Nothing else interesting happened that night, other than some reading through an old book she had discovered under her bed.

“ _The Darkest Day and Other Galarian Tales,_ ” Eliana read aloud. The title was worn away by time, but the imprints of the gold letters remained behind. It was very dusty as well, the red cover reverted to a dirty gray. Even the binding was worn, but the gold casing was still there. Pure gold, too.

She flipped it open to a random page, careful not to rip it. A black-and-white image of a knight revealed itself to her. He donned a sword and a shield, battle-ready and raring to fight an unseen opponent in the sky. Eliana flicked her gaze down to the caption, reading it in her head this time.

_The Knight of Galar was aided by the legendary Sword and Shield in his quest to vanquish the Darkest Day. While no one knows what the real source of the said apocalypse was, most believe it to be a very powerful pokémon, given the name Eternatus for its power to bring about an eternal night. (See page 213)_

Curious, Eliana searched for that page. She was faced with the figure of a very frightening-looking pokémon. It looked to be made of crystal, with light protruding from the gaps in its body. It appeared almost skeletal. Most importantly, it looked to be a dragon-type.

_Eternatus, also known as the Bringer of Destruction, was revered as a god up until a couple thousand years ago. It was feared by all, and made people believe that Wishing Stars were its source of power. While these mysterious crystals are now used for dynamaxing pokémon, there is much more to be learned about them. Eternatus is said to have two enemies, who are the only ones able to bring it down in its reign of destruction. Only when the Sword and Shield are united can the Darkest Day truly be conquered._

This page had what seemed to be notes tucked along the margins. She didn’t recognize the handwriting, and it was almost too small to read. But she did see some words in the true text underlined, which provided some sort of clue as to what the notes were about. The words “Wishing Stars” were even highlighted. Someone must have been desperate for answers.

Eliana flipped to other random pages, trying to find out more about the Sword and Shield. But to her amazement, those pages had been torn out. Whoever had owned this book must not have wanted anyone to discover what they were.

She turned to the very last page, which was meant to be blank. In the bottom right corner, there was a small symbol. It looked to be a flower, but not just any flower.

It was a rose.

It was the next morning. It was a few hours before the championship entries began, so Eliana took the liberty to read more in the mysterious book. She had took a trip to the Motostoke library in hopes to find more references to the Sword and Shield. The librarian had given her a strange look, but lead her into the furthest part of the building nonetheless. This section was filled with old books, while the ones closer to the entryway were stacked with newer ones. Eliana was given a stack of books, though she was slightly disappointed to find that they were only mere legends. No sign of a scientific study or the likes.

She was deep into reading one of the legends when she was greeted with a crash from the other side of the room, followed by colorful cursing. It was too dark to see who it was from where she was sitting, so of course she got up to get closer to the source of the noise.

“Fucking rickety ladders,” the voice hissed. A flashlight suddenly was activated, lighting up the area. Eliana gasped when she saw Raihan. The dragon-type gym leader appeared to have been bombarded wit ha whole bunch of old books, dust flying in the air in huge clouds.

“Raihan?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

Raihan looked up and narrowed his eyes. When he saw it was Eliana, he smiled his trademarked fanged grin.

“Hey, hot stuff. Fancy seeing you here,” he greeted. “Just checking out the old legends. Filled with stuff on dragon-types, you know.”

“Makes sense.” Eliana grabbed one of the books on the floor, starting to stack them on top of each other.

“What are _you_ doing here?”

“Same as you; looking at the legends.”

“Any legend in particular? I’ve read almost every one of these books, and the library in Hammerlocke is three times bigger. I could help you find one.”

“The Sword and Shield.”

Raihan widened his bright teal eyes. “Haven’t heard that one in a while. Any reason why?” he asked, suspicion lining his voice. “It’s some pretty dangerous stuff you’re messing with there.”

“I’m just curious. Why would it be dangerous?”

He hesitated, standing and brushing dust from his sweatshirt. He then turned to gaze at the rows of books along the shelves. When his eyes locked on one in particular, he grabbed it from the shelf and shoved it into Eliana’s hands. He continued searching, and the one book turned into two books, then into four, and then it multiplied until she could hardly see over them. She struggled to hold them all, arms aching. Raihan still continued searching.

“Rai, is this really necessary? I mean, isn’t there just one book that tells the whole legend?” she wheezed, setting the books down on a table.

Raihan barked a hearty laugh. “One book? There’s thousands of variations on the legend,” he replied. “Some say the Sword and Shield are just relics, others say that they were warriors, others mention pokémon… You can’t just read one and expect to figure it out.”

“But there _must_ be a most accurate one?”

“It’s a legend that’s existed for thousands of years. There’s going to be some miscommunication. I read them all mostly because I’m interested in Eternatus.”

“Of course. Dragon. Why wouldn’t I have assumed that in the first place?” Eliana huffed. She watched Raihan place three more books on the already large stack.

“Well, if you want my opinion, I think the books with the Sword and Shield as pokémon are the most accurate.” He then looked around, checking to see if there were any other people in the room. When he was sure they were alone, he lowered his voice and added, “They keep the path to the Slumbering Weald locked for a reason. It’s said that the Sword and Shield are deep in the woods, waiting for the next hero of Galar to come for their aid.”

Eliana listened intently. She knew about those tales, but she never assumed that they were true. They were just little fibs that parents told their children so that they’d stay away from the cursed place.

“Leon says that he went there a month ago,” Raihan continued. “He supposedly encountered a pokémon he’d never seen before. He really went there to get Hop out of it, but the encounter had him entranced. He described it as a wolf, but it was too foggy and misty to really tell. Even attacks wouldn’t work on it.”

He pulled one book from the stack, opening it and searching for a specific page. “I was curious myself, really. The only evidence I found was this.” He showed the page to Eliana.

She took it, taking in the absolute beauty of the two pokémon on the drawing. They were two wolves, one holding a large sword while the other’s front was guarded by a gargantuan shield. They looked to be very powerful, but Eliana’s attention was focused on the dog with the shield. It was almost like it was staring back at her. She almost could make out color in the book’s faded pages, making out a faint red, gold, and blue in the creature’s body.

“They even have names in the legend. Zacian and Zamazenta.” Raihan tapped the page before the image, where a description of the pokémon was written.

_The legendary Sword and Shield, also known as Zacian and Zamazenta, are responsible for saving Galar from Eternatus and the Darkest Day. They are said to be brothers, one representing war, and the other peace. The two wolves accompanied the Great Hero until he died, retreating to an unknown area afterwards. There have been claimed recent sightings around Postwick, though without reliable images or proof, the wolves’ existence is still proven a legend._

Eliana had to force herself to look away from the image. Even Raihan seemed entranced, but not as much as she was.

“Simple creatures, and yet they brought down Eternatus from his throne of darkness,” he said softly. “I still don’t understand how much power those two have.”

“But it’s just a legend. They can’t be real without proof,” Eliana argued.

 ** _I was but a legend, weren’t I?_** Palkia intruded. **_And yet here I am._**

Eliana ignored that, changing the subject while she looked through the other books. “So, what’d you talk about with Leon yesterday? Must have been important.”

Raihan made a surprised cough, as if he had just choked on his own spit and air. After he gathered himself again, he retorted, “What’s it to you about what we talk about?”

“I was just curious,” Eliana replied. She looked back down to her book with a bit of concern.

“Well, if you really want to know, we were just going over some things about the finals,” Raihan finally explained after a couple moments. But by the look on his face, it wasn’t entirely the truth.

It was then that Eliana felt like she had just discovered the truth to something spectacular. It also made an irrational amount of sense now that she thought about it, too. Raihan and Leon had always been close with each other, albeit the fact that they were rivals. Eliana took one more look at Raihan’s flustered face and finally understood. But she shouldn’t jump to conclusions. So, she took it slowly, popping a small hint at first.

“So, are you and Leon always hanging out alone?”

Raihan gave her a suspicious glare, then returned to his book on extinct dragon-types. “Sort of,” he answered plainly.

“Anything in particular that you do together besides battling?”

“Talking like normal people do?” He was now glaring at the book in his hands, enough unintentional venom in it to burn a hole right through the page.

Eliana tried a step further. “Maybe camping under the stars in the Wild Area together?”

Raihan then forcefully slammed the book shut, sending a flurry of dust to expose from it. Eliana couldn’t see how red his face was in the darkness, but she could tell that he was a tad flabbergasted.

“Whatever goes on between Leon and I’s relationship is none of your bloody business,” he growled. “Now please, can we change the subject to something else?”

Eliana opened and shut her mouth at a loss for words. He was obviously in some kind of relationship with Leon, no doubt about it. But it seemed like if she uttered another inquisitive word about it, she’d be slapped from here back to Sinnoh without a moment’s hesitation. So she went back to gaze at the text in the legend she was reading, pushing the topic to the back of her mind for later on.

A large gap of time passed while they sat there in the silence of the dark library, reading through the old Galarian legends. It was only when Raihan checked the time on his phone did he panic.

“Shit, I’m going to be late!” he shouted, tossing his book aside. He shot up from his chair and bolted out of the room.

 _Must be time for the entries,_ Eliana assumed. She got up herself, not wanting to miss the event. It was her chance to see Leon in action besides the finals themselves. While the Champion didn’t battle in the entries, he still made an appearance beside all of the gym leaders.

It was also her chance to see all of the challengers together. She only had met three of whatever number of Trainers there were — Marnie, Bede, and of course Hop — and she was dying to meet the others.

Eliana stepped out into the bright sunlight again, blinking to adjust her eyes to the light. She then made her way to the stadium, hoping she could get there in time to get a decent seat.

_•••_

There were only a few important things that mattered in life, and one of them was to take what you love and use it to its full extent. For Leon, that was battling. For as long as he could remember, he had dreamed of being Champion. But now, after actually being a Champion for over eight years now, the fame got to be a bit much even for him. Everything was the same. There was hardly any freedom except for the few months that didn’t take part during the championships. Leon missed being able to just explore the region without a care in the world. Now he was confined to specific areas, and it got on his nerves pretty quick.

He also wasn’t one for small spaces with people he didn’t like. He frowned upon the thought of working in an office, not being able to battle with his pokémon or feel the fresh air of the Wild Area in his lungs. Meetings with Chairman Rose always gave him a taste of that horrid lifestyle, making him bored out of his mind while Rose droned on and on about the important of being Champion and what it meant to Galar to have a strong figure to look up to. It was the same speech every year, and somehow the Chairman had always found a way to sneak some more useless information into the explanation.

It happened every year immediately following the challenge entries. Rose would pull aside each gym leader and finally the Champion for a good talking to about the previous year’s performance, plus the hopes set aside for the future.

This year, just before Leon had stepped into Rose’s office, Raihan passed him with a fuming expression.

“Good luck in there,” he hissed under his breath. “He’s not a happy man today.”

“When is he ever?”

Raihan rolled his eyes, stalking away. Something else was on his mind, and it was quite obvious.

But there was no time to dwell on such things. Leon gazed at the open door to Rose’s office, tugging at the collar of his shirt in nervousness. He prayed that the speech this time would be quick.

“Leon! Just the Champion I wanted to see!” Rose greeted cheerfully as Leon stepped in.

“I’m the _only_ Champion you ever see,” Leon retorted quietly. He sat down, watching Rose’s expression carefully.

“So, to address last year’s championship… I have to say I’m surprised at how it ended.”

There it was. Leon flinched, knowing he was in for a lengthy reprimanding.

“Of course, the media will never forget such things, as sad as I am to say it,” Rose continued. “You’re lucky there haven’t been any protesters or any of the likes.”

“I expressed my emotions. Is that not what a true role model should do?” Leon intruded.

Rose narrowed his eyes slightly. “Maybe I wasn’t clear enough. What I meant to say was that you’re putting your position at stake, let alone Raihan’s.”

“Leave Raihan out of this. If you’re getting rid of anybody, it should be me.”

“Leon. I’m merely giving you a warning. If anything like last year’s event happens again, that’s when I’ll have to put my foot down.” Rose sighed softly, putting his hands together at his lap. “A relationship between you and Raihan could get troublesome, if you understand what I’m getting at.”

“I don’t.”

“It could interfere with the challenge. Galar’s people depend on the challenge for something to look forward to. Without a battle between the Champion and his rival, we wouldn’t have anything to feed their needy cravings for action.”

Leon began to feel a bit ticked off. He tried to keep the anger out of his voice when he replied, “A relationship wouldn’t interfere at all. It would be the same as always. I’ll smother Raihan into the dirt with Charizard just like I did last year and the year before that.”

“But this year is different,” Rose persisted. “You’ve endorsed someone yourself. It’s not common for the Champion to give himself another challenger. Why would you set yourself up fro failure like that?”

“I believe in Hop, Rose. If anyone can be as great a Champion as I am, if not better, it will be him. He’s my brother. I know he’ll do his best. It’s what anyone would do.”

There was a challenging sparkle in Rose’s eyes. Leon didn’t like that at all.

“I think you’ll be surprised to hear that I’ve endorsed someone this year as well,” the Chairman said.

“What are you paying them with? Empty hopes and dreams?”

Rose ignored that. “Bede will be the next Champion if all goes according to plan. No offense, Leon, but I’m starting to lose hope in you. This challenger in particular agrees with my plans for the future of Galar.”

“What plans? The ones about the Darkest Day?” Leon chuckled darkly. He added in a mocking tone, “No offense, _Rose,_ but I don’t think that plan has much common sense. The Darkest Day is another name for the apocalypse. What’s Galar’s future going to be if there isn’t going to be a Galar?”

“The Darkest Day will save Galar. With the help of Eternatus, I could supply the region with enough power to last eons. Isn’t that something exciting to look forwardto?” Rose’s tone had grown dark and challenging. Leon knew that if he tried arguing with that, he’d just dig himself a deeper hole. So instead he just nodded, earning a pleased smirk from the Chairman.

“Perfect,” he cheered. “I think I can let you go this year with just that. After all, it has been seven years, hasn’t it?”

“Yes. It has.”

“And a brilliant seven years it has been. Make Galar proud, Leon. If you don’t, well, I’ll make sure your replacement will.”

Leon didn’t wait to be formally dismissed before he got back to his feet. He walked out the door with his jaw clenched and his expression irate. Raihan had been right; Rose was not a happy man today. And now, neither was the Champion.

Charizard was laying in the rays of the sun outside the stadium, wings splayed out beside him and soaking up the heat. He perked his head when he heard his Trainer, giving Leon a happy growl. But Leon just snapped his fingers, signaling for Charizard to follow him. The dragon reluctantly got up, doing as he was told with slight concern.

There was a huge crowd collected nearby, bombarding the various gym leaders with stupid questions as always. But as soon as they caught sight of him, they acted as though the gym leaders had ceased to exist.

Leon just continued walking, ignoring all the questions that were thrown at him. He was soon joined by Raihan, who had forcefully moved his way through the crowd to get there. Flygon merely buzzed over them all, taunting them with a snarky hiss.

“So? What’d he say?”

Leon grunted, saying nothing.

Raihan frowned, trying to catch up. He exchanged a worried glance with Charizard. “That bad, huh?”

Once again, nothing. Leon was never the silent type. Only when he was absolutely enraged did he keep his mouth shut and his thoughts to himself. Raihan knew it would be useless to try and get an answer out of him for a while at the least.

Leon was slightly thankful that Raihan was there for him, but also a little annoyed that his rival wouldn’t leave him alone. He supposed that was just what friends were for.

_Friends._

The word seemed odd to him now after last year’s finals. He hadn’t thought about it for a while, but thanks to Rose, the memory came back full force like it had happened yesterday.

He had defeated Raihan just like all the other times they battled. As pissed as his rival was to lose for the sixth time in a row, he still kept a smile on his face as he had approached Leon to congratulate him. Leon didn’t know what had come over him. In front of a million people, he had kissed his own rival without a second thought.

“Lee?”

Leon shook himself out of the memory, looking back at Raihan.

“Want to talk about it over dinner?” he asked, flashing a toothy grin.

The Champion smiled. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day,” he replied.


	6. Natural Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliana joins Hop on a bit of training in the Galar Mine, but their adventure soon turns into a bout of danger. An Absol is guarding some peculiar stones, and the one who's aiming to take them is someone very familiar. Later, Leon gets caught in a terrible thunderstorm in the Wild Area - and what's more is the fact that he's lost.

Where was Eliana this entire time? Well, a certain Champion’s brother had asked her if she could teach him how to properly train pokémon. She had followed him into the Galar Mine, demonstrating a perfect one-hit knockout on a wild Rolycoly. Hop watched in awe, soaking in all the information like a sponge to water.

“How do you catch pokémon?” he asked her after she had tracked down an unsuspecting Woobat.

Eliana looked back at him, shrugging. “It depends on what kind of pokémon it is. There’s different pokéballs, and every pokémon has its desires. I met Luxray when he was just a Shinx. He’d snuck a couple berries away from Drizzile, so I fed him what he needed.”

“You didn’t attack him or anything?”

“Friendship should be what matters most. Shinx trusted me after that, so he just tagged along.” Eliana let out her Luxray for demonstration, but the electric-type was all too sleepy to really care about anything.

Hop suppressed a giggle. “Do you think you can show me? I do need a new technique,” he said, scratching Luxray behind the ears.

Eliana smiled when the lion began purring. The Pokémon leaned into the touch, almost knocking Hop over. Intelleon, who had been brought out for the attack on the Rolycoly, rolled her eyes at her friend’s softness towards a stranger.

“I suppose I could catch something,” Eliana announced. “But it’d be a while before it would be up to par with the others’ strengths.”

She thought for a moment, trying to go over the native pokémon in the mine. Besides the common Rolycoly, there were Timburr, Drilbur, Diglett, Roggenrola and Woobat. All of them could evolve into formidable opponents, but they weren’t what Eliana would usually accept into her team. In all honesty, she’d rather mess with the Nickits around Postwick.

The two Trainers continued along the mine, Hop ranting about how he trained his own pokémon and the way he caught them. Eliana was only half listening, eyes locked on a dark figure in the far end of the cave they were in. It wasn’t human, and it definitely wasn’t a pokémon native to the mine.

Eliana put out a hand to stop Hop, putting a finger to her mouth to tell him to be quiet. The younger gave her a confused look, but remained silent nonetheless. Eliana crept forwards, beckoning for Luxray to follow. That was when the shadow moved.

The pokémon burst from the darkness, a blast of pink waves of energy knocking Luxray to the other end of the cave wall. Now that it was in the light, Eliana could finally make out what it was. It was an Absol, but not an ordinary Absol. Instead of blue skin, it was pink.

A shiny.

The Absol growled, taking a defensive stance. The whit fur on its shoulders stood on end. Eliana ceased all movements. This wasn’t a territorial pokémon. These were the actions of a pokémon that was protecting something.

“What is that?” Hop asked, voice barely above a whisper. It was apparent that he had never seen, possibly never even heard, of Absol. As far as Eliana knew, this pokémon wasn’t even native to Galar at all.

“Sol!” the pokémon hissed. It took a step back, swiveling its head to an unseen enemy. It was then that Eliana noticed the red glowing stones behind it.

“Wishing Stars!” she breathed. They looked just like the legends said they did.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” a new voice said.

Eliana recognized it. She followed Absol’s gaze to see Bede, who apparently had been standing there this entire time.

She felt Hop tense beside her. The young Trainer narrowed his eyes, a new anger washing over him that Eliana had never seen on him before. He obviously knew Bede, and it appeared that he didn’t like him at all.

The Absol roared in anger, slashing forwards at Bede. It wasn’t a real attack, but rather a warning strike. The next blow wouldn’t be so merciful. Absols were known for their quick tempers, and their formidability in battle. But they didn’t lash out without a good reason to. Bede had clearly ticked it off somehow.

“You poor thing,” Bede cooed teasingly. “Those aren’t _your’s,_ are they?”

Absol’s fur only fluffed out more at the sound of his voice, trying to make itself look bigger and more menacing.

“Leave it be!” Hop yelled.

Bede’s attention switched to the Champion’s brother. “Oh. It’s you. Solosis, remember crushing him and his team?”

His pokémon made a sneering squeal. Absol hissed at it, a dark purple aura beginning to gather around its claws. It wanted to do whatever it took to protect those Wishing Stars.

Eliana suddenly realized something. Absols only showed themselves to people when a disaster was approaching. They would come down from their homes in the mountains to warn the humans of said disaster, though due to prejudice, they were cast out, thought to have brought the disasters with them. They were even classified as the Disaster Pokémon. If this Absol was so keen to stand its ground to humans just to protect these Wishing Stars, it must be for a good reason.

Bede took a step forwards, which was just enough to send Absol over the edge. It pounced at the Trainer, claws outstretched and fangs bared. The move, known as Shadow Claw, was deflected by a Psybeam from Solosis. But Absol didn’t stop there, its horn that protruded from the side of its head glowing a bright white. Solosis was struck down with the Slash, but it still was conscious. Absol stood still again, eyes blazing with anger and chest heaving with every breath.

“What do you even need those for?” Eliana asked. “It’ll kill you if you try and take them!”

“I’ll collect every Wishing Star no matter the cost,” Bede replied sourly. “If this Absol persists in standing in the way, then I’ll be rid of it in no time. Solosis, Psybeam!”

The small pokémon sent a pulse of psychic energy at Absol, though the attack faded as soon as it hit. Absol was a dark-type, which deflected psychic-type attacks with ease. The Pokémon still stood its ground, getting ready to perform Shadow Claw again.

By this time, Eliana had urged Luxray into the fight. Even Hop had sent out Wooloo, stretching their odds of winning just a bit more.

Bede was only slightly surprised, but he still persisted in having Solosis attack Absol.

“Luxray, use Discharge!”

“Wooloo, Tackle!”

Both pokémon shot forwards, Luxray attacking first. The shockwave of electrical energy stunned Solosis just long enough for Wooloo to hit it head on. It faltered, wavering in the air for a bit before falling to the ground like a rock.

Bede hardly made any reaction, taking out a second pokémon to fight with. A Gothita was summoned, looking hysterically tiny and weak compared to the three pokémon it was standing up against.

“I’m just giving your pokémon some time to shine, that’s all,” Bede said venomously.

Absol was having none of this. Out of nowhere, a beam of dark energy was blasted at its new opponent, making the tiny Gothita squeak in terror before it was hit with the Dark Pulse. A super-effective hit, and just enough to make it faint instantly.

Now Bede was angry. “Looks like I’m in trouble,” he taunted. He seemed very confident that he was going to win this.

His final pokémon was sent out, which was a Hatena. Another psychic-type. Was this a serious attempt at trying to win? He wouldn’t get anywhere if he only trained one type of pokémon.

“Volt Tackle!” Eliana told Luxray, who immediately bolted forwards at full speed.

The lion ran head-first into Hatena with the voltage of a lightning strike. The Hatena still prevailed, clinging onto its last moments in this battle by nipping Luxray in the leg. The electric-type merely shook it off like it was just a bug, finishing it off with a sharp blow to the head.

Hop cheered. Absol even gave a growl of triumph. Bede’s eyes widened in surprise, and he shot a slightly scared look at Absol. The shiny only had to bare its teeth to make its enemy step away.

“Don’t think this is over,” Bede hissed. “As for you,” he pointed at Hop, “you should quit the gym challenge right now before you get hurt. Might as well give up on your dreams now before it crushes you.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, disappearing into the darkness of the mine. Eliana watched him go disdainfully, wondering what in the name of Arceus had drawn him to the Wishing Stars.

“Good riddance,” Hop muttered. Though his face was still cast with a forlorn expression.

“Don’t listen to him. You’ll do great,” Eliana encouraged him.

Something nudged her leg. She looked down to see Absol, who sat on its haunches with a little bow of the head. It was saying “thank you”.

“You’re welcome, girl. You did amazing.”

“Absol,” it said happily. It turned and stuck its muzzle into the pile of Wishing Star stones, picking one out and dropping it at Eliana’s feet.

She crouched down to pick it up, looking it over with awe. The stone glowed a warm red, a swirl of misty energy formed inside its clear crimson-tinted walls. It was absolutely stunning, and it radiated a powerful aura. Now it wasn’t a wonder to her about how these tiny gemstones could cause a pokémon to dynamax. This little rock packed a lot of power.

“For me?” she asked, a bit hesitant to have it in her hands.

Absol nodded curtly. It turned to Hop, eyes locked on his wristband. Hop looked at it, showing it to the pokémon. Absol sniffed at it, then looked at the Wishing Star in Eliana’s hand. “Sol.”

“It’s my dynamax band,” Hop explained. “Professor Magnolia made it out of a Wishing Star I found not too long ago.”

“Why are you so interested in them?”

Absol’s expression turned dark. “Absol! Sol!”

Hop exchange a worried glance with Eliana. “What’s it saying?”

“It’s warning us. But I don’t know of what.”

“Absol!”

 ** _She has seen what is to come,_** Palkia said grimly. **_She is trying to prevent it from happening._**

“But what?” Eliana wondered aloud.

Absol nudged her leg again, even rubbing up against her. “Absol,” she rumbled softly.

“I think it wants to come with you,” Hop said. “Wow. It looked so wild earlier…”

“That’s what friendship can do,” Eliana replied. She looked down at Absol. “Are you sure?”

Absol stood proudly, nodding again. Luxray leaned down a tad to sniff at her, looking up at Eliana with an expression that seemed to say _do I really have to share my food with her?_ Absol glanced at him, a bit unsure about the large lion.

“Lux,” he purred. While he wasn’t happy about another mouth to feed, he was very happy about having a new friend.

Eliana grabbed an empty pokéball out of her bag. But Absol growled, swatting it away. It fell to the ground, breaking in half. Absol then punched on it, over and over again until it was crushed into little bits of what used to be a very expensive and rare Luxury Ball.

“Hey, what was that for?” Hop said, almost scolding.

Absol sniffed in annoyance. “Sol!”

“I don’t think she wants a pokéball,” Eliana pondered.

The pokémon tilted her head, almost smirking at how successful she was at destroying what could have been her confinement.

“I can just imagine the look on Leon’s face when he sees that I have a shiny pokémon,” Eliana laughed.

“He’s wanted a shiny for as long as I can remember,” Hop said. “He’ll flip out, I’m sure of it.”

The Absol seems to perk up at that. She appeared to be happy to show off her genetic variance to unsuspecting foes. Full of herself, just like Eliana’s best friend, the Champion. Hell, they could be twins.

“Now can we go to the gym? Raboot is sure to win the challenge,” Hop stated. His Scorbunny had just recently evolved.

“Of course. Maybe if we’re lucky, Leon won’t be lost and’ll be there already.”

•••

He was most definitely lost. The Unbeatable Champion of Galar found himself staring at the same tree he had just passed fifteen minutes ago. A Skwovet stared right back at him, cheeks stuffed full of berries that had been growing on the tree.

And with just his luck, there was no service where he was at, which denied the option of accessing a GPS on his Rotom phone. What’s worse, it was starting to rain. Charizard was huddled underneath the berry tree, whimpering whenever a raindrop fell on his scales. He had his fiery tail tucked close to his body so he didn’t get it wet. If that went out, he’d surely die.

Leon cursed, trying to find his bearings. In one direction, Motostoke was visible. In another, Hammerlocke. Should he go left or right? He squinted his eyes, looking up at the sun, which was almost completely obscured by thunderclouds. Was it setting or rising? What time even was it? Which way did the sun move again? West or east?

The rain was increasing in heaviness. The drops had grown to fat ones, increasing in size every minute that went by. Leon had to barricade himself under the tree with Charizard because it was getting so bad. A clap of thunder sounded in the distance.

 _Perfect. Just perfect,_ he thought bitterly.

Charizard whimpered, resting his head on Leon’s lap. His big blue eyes were filled with fear and misery.

A rustle sounded in the tall grass nearby. A small pokémon made its way out and towards the tree. The Vulpix had its tails tucked underneath its body, curling up in the dry space and continuing to shiver out of its own pelt.

A Zigzagoon soon followed, laying down next to the Vulpix. They nestled close together, trying to warm themselves up with their body heat. Charizard looked at them, moving his tail so that the flame was close enough to help warm the wild pokémon.

Leon’s heart could have melted at the scene. But the area underneath the tree was quickly growing crowded with more and more wild pokémon seeking shelter in the rain. He was pressed further against Charizard when a couple of Nickits laid down near him. Once again, just his luck. Confined to a small dry spot in the rain underneath a Skwovet-infested tree with a huge Charizard and a growing abundance of wild pokémon in the middle of nowhere wasn’t exactly what he’d call a good day. He longed for a better shelter, especially since the torrential of rain was beginning to change direction, pushing through the leaves and angled just right so that Leon was soaked to the bone in a matter of moments. Even his cape was too wet to use as a sort of blanket for himself.

The thunder was getting louder. Soon a bolt of lightning sliced the air, striking a patch of grass that was too close for comfort. All the wild pokémon yelped in terror, squeezing in closer to each other for some sense of comfort. Even Charizard flinched at the ear-piercing sound.

To his amazement, a large Ninetails ran across the grassland, paying no attention to the rain. Leon watched in awe as it raised its head to the sky, howling a ghostly cry that sent shivers down his spine. The rain then seemed to recede. Little by little, the drops decreased in size and speed. The sun was even poking back out of the clouds. The Ninetails had used Sunny Day to stop the storm. That was just the wonder of pokémon; They could even bend the weather to their will, albeit for a short period of time. Ninetails then galloped away, knowing its job here was done.

Charizard moved beside Leon, stretching his neck out from under the tree. “Zard,” he growled softly, edging around the other pokémon to walk out into the newfound sunlight. His distressed demeanor faded into happiness, closing his eyes in bliss and taking in the rays like a leaf would. Fire-types found significant power boosts in the effects of a Sunny Day, so it was no surprise that Charizard was enjoying this.

The other pokémon started to fan out, going back to their homes in the tall grass. But Leon still remained where he was, trying hard to think of a solution to get to where he needed to be.

Thunder still boomed from far away. The Sunny Day wouldn’t last much longer. But he wasn’t the expert on weather. Raihan was, and he was great at it. Though it was sort of concerning about how obsessed the man was with his sandstorms. Who liked getting grains of dirt and sand in their eyes? If anything, it prevented anyone from seeing what they were doing during a battle. And yet Raihan seemed unaffected, still ensuring himself triumph over any gym challengers he came across. Last year, only seven challengers had made it to the final gym.

Leon got to his feet, joining Charizard in the sunshine. While the sun’s rays were warm, it was the wind that didn’t help. The cold gusts mixed with his already soaking apparel brought him to the point to where he was shivering so bad that his teeth were chattering. Luckily Charizard’s internal fire radiated enough heat so that it wasn’t so awful.

“Thanks, bud,” he breathed, leaning in closer.

The dragon smiled, nuzzling his snout into Leon’s chest. Leon stroked his muzzle, earning another happy growl from his partner pokémon.

“Well, I’ll be.”

Leon froze (pardon the pun). “Raihan?” he asked, turning around to see the dragon-type gym leader.

“So Eliana was right,” he chuckled. “You’re lost, aren’t you?”

“No!” Leon blurted a little too quickly.

Charizard gave him a withering look, not impressed.

“Well, Hop and Eliana have been waiting for over two hours now. Your brother just crushed Milo, and he wants to tell you all about it.”

“I just had to deal with something, that’s all,” Leon lied.

“You look like you took a swim with a Gyarados. Good Arceus, Leon, you’re soaked!” Raihan worried, walking up to the Champion. He took off his sweatshirt, revealing a dark grey t-shirt underneath. He handed it to Leon. “Here. Maybe it’ll help.”

Leon tried hard to keep himself from blushing. He put on Raihan’s sweatshirt, relishing the newfound warmth it gave him. Although it was a bit big.

“Thanks,” he said, smiling a little.

Raihan returned the smile. “Get caught in the rain?”

“Did _you_?”

“Nah. Just missed it, actually.”

“Lucky you,” Leon replied bitterly. He bit back a sneeze, cursing himself quietly. Getting sick was the last thing he needed.

Raihan rolled his eyes. “They might as well be heading for the next gym by now,” he said. “Why didn’t you call anyone?”

“No service,” the other snapped. Raihan flinched at Leon’s sudden resentful mood.

The loud cry of a pokémon split the air. Both men jumped at the noise, turning to the source. A blur of white was rampaging towards them at full speed.

“Get down!” Raihan yelped, shoving Leon to the ground with him. The Champion’s breath was knocked out of him in the process. He coughed, heaving for breath.

The Pokémon stopped just as it was inches away from them at the call of its Trainer. Leon’s eyes widened at the sight of the shiny Absol.

“Not everyone’s the enemy, you know!” called a female voice. It was Eliana, with Hop trailing behind her.

The Absol snarled at Raihan and Leon, but took a couple paces back nonetheless.

“That’s yours?” Leon gasped.

Elaina smiled proudly. “Like her? She’s a pretty powerful individual,” she said.

Leon gaped at the shiny. At a loss for words, he merely just stared in awe. Even Raihan, who was usually not that impressed by anything, was surprised.

“You could have told me the thing was shiny,” he scoffed.

“It’s called a surprise, tough guy,” Eliana replied.

“Lee!”

The Champion was hardly on his feet before his brother barreled into him and knocked him back down. Hop engulfed Leon in a tight hug, denying any breaths the older tried to take.

“Hop,” he wheezed. “It’s only been a day!”

Hop still kept a tight grip. “I still miss you,” he replied cheerfully.

He let go, allowing Leon to catch the first breath he’d been able to take in the past minute. “Congrats, though. I heard Milo didn’t stand a chance against you,” he praised.

His younger brother put his head down in happy embarrassment. “It was nothing, really,” he said under his breath. He pulled out his badge ring from his pocket to show Leon the Grass Badge.

“One down, seven more to go,” Leon told him. “I’m sure Raihan’s will be the most difficult.”

“Thanks,” Raihan said, “but don’t think that statement will get you out of trouble.”

“He did amazing. Just when things looked dark, he dynamaxed Raboot and absolutely slaughtered Milo’s team. I haven’t seen anything like that since you were in the challenge, Leon,” Eliana said.

“Must run in the family,” Raihan chuckled. Leon elbowed him playfully in the ribs.

While Hop went on about how the gym battle went, Leon was easily distracted by Eliana’s unfocused expression. She seemed to be staring off into space, not hearing anything Hop was saying at all. She may be speaking with Palkia, but Leon had a hunch that it wasn’t the case. She was always at least somewhat alert when she conversed with the deity.

“You alright?” Leon asked her.

Eliana jumped slightly, snapping out of her dazed state. “Hmm?”

“You look like you’ve seen something you shouldn’t have.”

She looked down, pondering for a while. Finally, she settled on, “How rare are Wishing Stars?”

Leon blinked. He wasn’t expecting a question like that. “I dunno. They sort of pop up out of nowhere. Hop found his just as it fell out of the sky,” he answered.

“Does anyone need more than one?” Eliana pressed. “Like for something stronger than dynamaxing?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Why?”

She narrowed her eyes in deep thought. “There was a gym challenger in the mine that I’ve seen before. I found Absol trying to protect a bunch of Wishing Stars from him. He didn’t exactly take it lightly, either. Attacked with full force.”

“What’s his name?” Leon was suddenly very concerned. Attacking a pokémon brutally, whether it was wild or not, was against any law. It could easily get this challenger banned from the championships.

“I think it was Bede.”

 _Goddamnit._ That meant Rose was behind this as well. Leon was beginning to lose his trust in the chairman more and more. And if Rose was at the source of this issue, it must be linked to his plans about the Darkest Day.

But Leon kept his mouth shut, not wanting to cause panic. The Darkest Day was the last thing anyone needed on their minds right now.

Hop was still ranting, and the only one actually listening to him at the moment was Raihan. The young Trainer was demonstrating every minute of the battle by impersonating people and actions, and while he thought it made more sense, it really just made it confusing and caused him to look slightly mentally disturbed.

But his story was cut short when a blast of lightning struck the grassland yet again, only this time it was dangerously close. Hop even screamed in terror, appearing to be on the verge of fainting in pure fear. Absol even pressed her fur into her body, making herself look smaller.

The patch of grass the lightning struck lit on fire. The four began to panic, talking over each other on what to do. None of their pokémon were water-types (except for Palkia, and that definitely wasn’t an option). Raihan had to whistle to get their attention. He pointed to Flygon, who had been sleeping peacefully under the berry tree until the lightning struck.

“Ground-types!” he shouted. “Sand!”

“What in the name of Arceus is he going on about?” Eliana wondered aloud.

Leon finally understood. “Eliana, bring out Garchomp!”

She was confused, but still brought out her dragon. He shook himself out when he appeared, stretching.

“Now what?”

By this time Raihan had sent out Gigalith and Sandaconda. “Sand Attack, now!”

The two ground-types whipped up a flurry of dust clouds and sent it towards the fire. It had grown three times its size this entire time, but the sand had decreased it yet again.

Eliana’s expression went from confusion to a stare that read that she had just solved world hunger. “Garchomp, Mud Bomb!”

Garchomp acknowledged, lobbing a large ball of mud at the fire. After that, only a couple embers remained. The four Trainers and their pokémon gave triumphant cheers. But it didn’t last long, for thunder sounded and it began to rain again.

Hop, still stunned, backed up into Leon. “Can we go now?” he asked, voice reduced to that of a terrified toddler.

Leon looked expectantly at Eliana and Raihan.

“If you don’t mind sandstorms, then sure,” Raihan declared.

Eliana shrugged.

“At this point, I’ll be happy to transcend the time-space continuum,” Leon mumbled.

 ** _Don’t say things like that, human. You have no idea how terrible something like that can end up like,_** Palkia growled.

Leon jumped at the deity’s voice. But the others didn’t hear the god of space.

“You hear that, Gigalith?” Raihan taunted. “Sandstream, it is, then!”

Let’s just say the journey to their next destination was very, very dirty. Leon had never wished that he’d stayed put this much ever before in his entire life. Dating a man that loved sandstorms wasn’t exactly the best option he could have gone with.


	7. All Hail Eternatus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliana makes a mistake when deciding to study her new Wishing Star while she's alone. Eternatus reaches out to her, though the encounter drains her of her life force. Leon finds her unconscious, and a trip to The Pokémon center takes place. Later, when she feels like herself again, she runs into Hop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suicidal thought warning. Hop is sad boi :(

Eliana spent the next couple days training her new pokémon. Absol, even though she was cute on the outside, packed a real punch of power when she wanted to. She was even more beautiful in battle, fur sparkling in the sunlight due to being a shiny. Eliana received some very impressed looks from people passing by when they saw Absol, but they never stopped to look at her further. It was almost like the pokémon radiated a defensive aura that drew people away.

She still wondered what Absol was trying to warn her about that involved Wishing Stars. What was more confusing was the look on Leon’s face when she mentioned Bede’s name. The expression was a mix of surprise and rage, but the Champion had brushed off any questions regarding as to why he reacted that way.

Eliana was sitting at a table at a café that had caught her eye not too long ago. All of her pokémon were out (except Palkia, of course) and enjoying a hearty meal, though she had to keep an eye on Luxray as to make sure he didn’t sneak any of the other pokémon’s food from them. Lucario and Intelleon had their own seats, due to the fact that they were more humanoid than the others. Garchomp and Luxray were currently fighting over the last remaining aspear berry, Absol watching them from a safe distance. She was still a bit unsure about the others, but she tried to warm up to them when she could.

The others had gone off on their own to different parts of the town they were in. Hop was probably out training; Raihan said that he’d be wherever his heart took him; Leon was most likely being bombarded by fans and unable to move anywhere. So That left Eliana, who planned on checking out the local library to see if she could find any more books on the Sword and Shield. She was deeply determined to find answers, if not the entire truth. Even Eternatus was beginning to catch her attention.

Most importantly, she needed to know more about Wishing Stars. Where do they come from? How can they dynamax pokémon? Why did it have a special effect on certain pokémon so they can Gigantamax?

She was also looking to find an absolite to mega evolve Absol during battle. But she knew that she wouldn’t have any luck at Galar, since mega evolution wasn’t even a thing in this region. She might as well wait until she went back to Sinnoh or Kalos to buy one. She also had a long way to go if she wanted to mega evolve Absol at all. A strong bond is required for such feats, and the two had only just met.

If she wanted to try anything that increased her chances of winning a battle here in Galar, she decided she wanted to try out dynamaxing. It seemed cool, and she wanted to see what it was like in person without just watching it from afar. From her only experience with close-up dynamaxing, Hop’s Raboot had drastically increased its health, speed, and attack. That, and it looked absolutely gargantuan. She could just imagine what Intelleon would look like in her Gigantamax form.

Eliana’s attention was suddenly brought to the Wishing Stone in her bag. She grabbed it and placed it on the table, staring into its foggy insides. “Give me your secrets,” she demanded playfully.

What she didn’t expect was a response.

 ** _My secrets are not yours to know,_** hissed a booming and guttural voice.

Eliana dropped the stone in terror. Luckily, it didn’t shatter.

 ** _Eliana, you shouldn’t meddle with such things,_** Palkia warned. **_I have a feeling whatever force is behind these objects is not a very kind one._**

 ** _You have a right to fear me, Palkia. Tell me, child… Have you heard the tale of your father’s defeat against me?_ **the voice growled.

Palkia’s telekinetic energy faltered. **_My father has never been defeated, beast, and I am no child. Begone with your lies._**

**_Then I suppose you’ve never heard of Eternatus at all, then?_ **

Eliana gasped softly. _Eternatus?_ Was this voice truly the dragon-type monster that had caused the Darkest Day to fall upon Galar? It couldn’t be. It had been defeated, killed even. This was impossible.

**_Tis I, human. You have been interested in me for quite some time. Amuse me and tell me why that is so._ **

Eliana hesitated. This wasn’t the place or the time for such things. If she said anything out loud in surprise, she’s surely catch the attention of passing strangers. So instead, she took back the glowing crimson stone and got to her feet.

“Return, guys. I have something to do,” she said to her pokémon. All of them did as told, except for Absol. Without a pokéball, the shiny simply strutted at her Trainer’s side.

 ** _What are you doing?_** Palkia demanded. **_This is a disastrous force you’re conversing with!_**

 _I need answers,_ was Eliana’s only reply. If it meant speaking with Eternatus himself, she’d do it.

**_That’s right, human. I am your only hope now._ **

The god of destruction’s voice was so entrancing… Its threatening aura soon faded into a strange sort of comfort, clouding all harsh prejudice from Eliana’s mind. Palkia was troubled, for he knew that something wasn’t right. It was very unlike Eliana to trust an unknown force almost instantly.

The god of space wasn’t just troubled. He was terrified for his Trainer. He had to find help. But who else could he trust? Raihan was too stuck-up. Hop was easily distracted. Leon…

Leon.

Leon was perfect. Eliana trusted him entirely, which meant Palkia could trust him as well. The Champion may a bit strange at times, but he’d do anything to help a friend, if not the entire region and world.

And so Palkia attempted to reach out to him.

**_Champion. Something is terribly wrong._ **

**•••**

**_Terribly wrong…_ **

Leon stopped in his tracks at the sound of Palkia’s voice. He had just been strolling along the street when he heard it. It sounded like there had been more to it, but no more words were heard. Perhaps it had been an accident?

The Champion shrugged, continuing to walk on. Charizard was at his side like always, enjoying the fresh air. The dragon hardly ever was inside his pokéball except for when important events came around, like the finals in the championship matches. Leon trusted him enough to roam around on his own.

**_…Help._ **

There it was again. Leon looked around for any sign of Eliana, or perhaps even Palkia. But then again, who could miss such a large and powerful god? When he didn’t see anyone, he walked on yet again. He must be going off his rockers. It was probably nothing.

At least, that’s what he thought until he saw his friend collapsed on the street, out cold with no intentions of waking up anytime soon. Leon rushed to Eliana, Charizard following suit, and propped her up.

“Arceus, save me,” he whispered to himself. “Charizard, get help!”

The dragon roared in reply taking off and out of sight. Eliana’s newfound Absol laid down next to her Trainer, eyes dark and full of sorrow. It knew something.

 ** _It’s too late,_** rumbled Palkia’s voice.

_Not if I can help, it isn’t._

•••

Eliana unexpectedly found herself standing at the foot of a large cliff, which fell away into a large, black void. Red clouds covered the horizon, an eerie hissing sound emitting from every which way.

“We’re not in Hulbury anymore,” she said softly to herself.

A large telepathic force caused her to go lightheaded. ** _No, you are not. This is my domain now, human._**

Eternatus. Suddenly Eliana felt a lot more terrified to be here. She tried reaching out to Palkia, hoping to find out if the deity could shield her mind.

There was no response. In fact, his pokéball wasn’t even there. None of her pokéballs were. She freaked out, taking a step back. Her back hit something large and slightly sharp. She whipped around to see a huge creature.

It was just like the illustrations made it out to be. Only it was much larger. Eliana estimated that this thing was probably about six times larger than Palkia, let alone being twelve times longer. Eternatus towered over her, large triangular head casting a shadow over the only other life form in the dimension. Its body was a shiny black, almost like it was made out of obsidian. A red aura glowed from inside; It was much like the glow from inside the Wishing Stars. Entirely skeletal in appearance, Eternatus looked like it had come straight from the deepest pit of Hell. From head to tail, this thing just screamed _demon_. Never before had Eliana seen something so horrible, at least not since Giratina.

But even Giratina wasn’t as terrible. The Renegade Pokémon was much smaller, although it was the second largest of the creation trio. While Giratina may have been made of shadow, this monster… this _demon_ was made of the very material that could have cause the Darkest Day.

“It didn’t just cause the Darkest Day,” Eternatus bellowed, “the stones fed it, made it stronger. The Wishing Stars are made from my very being, chipped off from my body throughout my many clashes with powerful beings.” The beast’s jaw clacked with every word in such a way that it sounded like a knife to glass. It gave an angry sigh, tail lashing. “But not for thousands of years. I have been here ever since my first and only defeat, gaining power, becoming stronger.”

“The Sword and Shield defeated you,” Eliana interrupted. She wanted to stop herself, but she somehow found the guts to speak to this horrifying thing. “How do you know they just won’t do it again?”

Eternatus gave a mighty and irate roar. “Zacian and Zamazenta only won against be because they had the aid of the Hero. They won’t win this time, for their precious Sword and Shield shattered as soon as I was struck down. Without them, the cursed dogs will never be powerful enough to stop me.”

“Why are you doing this? What are you going to get out of this except for pain and misery?” Eliana demanded. Damn, she was brave today. Never in a million years would anyone catch her doing something like this. She was a naturally timid person when it came to gods that caused destruction to the world.

The titanic dragon began circling Eliana, but his entire body was long enough to curl around her completely with ease. It kept a wide berth, dark aura petrifying the human with so much force that she felt like she could faint. It really was no wonder to her now about how Arceus had lost against it. Eternatus was a force that drained the life energy of everything around it.

“You wish to know of the Darkest Day. I brought you here to tell you more of the truth than any other book or legend ever could,” it growled.

Eliana remained silent and still. Eternatus stopped so that the tip of its nose was inches from Eliana’s. It lowered one arm and dragged its sharp talons across the stone, causing her to cringe at the noise.

“Fragile beings, humans. It’s a wonder how they made it so far. How have they been able to populate the world so easily with how weak and small they are? Purging the planet of them would be best for its future, don’t you see? The Darkest Day will rid it of all life, letting it start over anew. Things like this have happened before, girl. The war that happened thousands of years before my defeat and the super-weapon that caused all life in the entire region to be decimated was one of them. Yveltal is called the Destruction Pokémon, is he not?”

She still didn’t reply. And so Eternatus continued.

“Clashes between Groudon and Kyogre have resulted in the formation of land masses and the rising of seas, sometimes reaching the point of complete destruction.”

“But Rayquaza stopped them before it got too bad,” Eliana argued.

Eternatus growled threateningly. “Don’t interrupt. Even Rayquaza has had to stop a meteor from destroying Hoenn. My point is that natural disasters happen, girl. Only a few rare forces can prevent them.”

Eliana looked down at the rocky ground she stood on. Even the stone was an obsidian-like black, reflecting the red in the sky like a mirror. She felt like her spirit was being drained away the longer she stayed here. Not only that, but Eternatus’ red glow had increased slightly in brightness. Or was that just her head messing with her?

“If you help me, I will tell you everything you need to know.”

She looked up at the colossal dragon, a new rush of weakness washing over her. Without any consent from her own heart or mind, she replied, “Whatever can I do for you, my Liege?”

•••

The room at the pokémon center was small, yet comforting at the same time. It had enough space for the bed Eliana law sound asleep in, along with a chair for a visitor and just enough room for a large pokémon to rest. Absol lay curled up at Eliana’s feet, snoring softly.

Leon and Charizard took up those other two spots, and they had been for the past four hours. Leon persisted in staying and keeping an eye on his old friend, no matter what Nurse Joy said or whatever cool thing Raihan or Hop had encountered and insisted on him seeing. He remained seated, eyes locked on Eliana’s sickly pale face, waiting for any sign of her waking up. Charizard wasn’t as patient, though. He was constantly shifting in his spot, sometimes even leaving the room to find a new pokémon to befriend and play with. Earlier, he had spent a while with a working Carkoal.

Now, with the sun setting, Eliana still wasn’t waking up. Her breathing had slowed over the hours, color draining from her face. Something wasn’t right. Even though she was unconscious, she shifted sometimes in her sleep, sometimes even uttering soft, incoherent words. Leon’s attention was caught when she mentioned the name “Eternatus”. Surely she was just having a bad dream? It must be a mixture of the stress and all this talk about legends and Wishing Stars that was getting to her.

And yet Leon still strained his ears to hear more. But Eliana went deathly silent, soft and weak breaths leaving her lips. Absol opened one eye halfway to glance at her, then turned her head and went back to sleep.

Leon jumped slightly when he heard someone knock on the doorframe.

“May I come in?” Raihan stood in the doorway, propping himself on one side. He must have been there for a while already.

The Champion shrugged. “Don’t mind me.”

The other walked in, stopping when his eyes landed on Eliana. A sudden sadness fell upon his expression. “What happened?” he asked, not looking at Leon.

He shrugged, answering, “I just found her like this. I wasn’t there to see it happen, though.”

Raihan blinked a couple times. He leaned against the far wall, crossing one leg over the other. He pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Can’t stay away from that thing for one minute, can you?” Leon hissed.

“I’m letting Hop know where you are,” Raihan snapped back. “He’s worried. You promised you’d be at the gym challenge this time.”

Leon had completely forgotten. He made an agitated sigh, putting two fingers to his temple. He had just disappointed his own brother only because of his own stubbornness.

“How’d you know to check here?”

“Charizard was outside pestering a poor Audino. Since you’re the only man in the entire Galar region with a Charizard, I had my assumptions.” Raihan chuckled to himself.

Leon merely nodded. It was quiet again for a couple more minutes until Raihan made his way closer to Eliana.

“What are you doing?” the Champion questioned suspiciously.

“Checking something.”

Raihan gently grasped Eliana’s wrist, forcing her closed fist open. A small red stone fell from it, making a quiet _tink_ as it hit the floor.

“Is that a Wishing Star?” Leon breathed.

“Looks like it,” Raihan replied as he bent down to pick it up. While he turned his back to Eliana, the Champion of Sinnoh suddenly shot up out of her sleep and began hyperventilating. Both men jumped at her sudden movement. But that wasn’t the thing that scared them the most; it was the desperation in her eyes as they locked on the stone in Raihan’s hand.

“No!” she howled. “Give it back! I want… I need…” She let out a long, shaky breath, trying hard to keep herself from collapsing again.

Raihan and Leon exchanged skeptical glances. The Wishing Star made a small vibration, numbing the holder’s fingers. Eliana tried getting out of bed, but she was pushed back down by Raihan.

“This thing isn’t safe,” he told her. “It’s killing you.”

Eliana shook her head. “No. I need it. I need to talk to him.”

“Who?” Leon asked.

But the girl was already fading back into unconsciousness. Soon she was out of it again, with no hopes of having the question answered.

The gym leader held the stone up to the light, trying to find any differences that it had beside other Wishing Stars. But like all others, it was a crimson red with a swirl of mist inside. Why did it cause Eliana to faint like that? Was there some sort of enchantment over it or something? It was a stupid idea, but it seemed like the most rational one at the moment.

“I don’t like this,” Leon said to Raihan.

“Neither do I. There’s nothing wrong with it as far as I can see. But it did something to her.”

Then he felt it. That small tingle of power that was held in the small gemstone. He recognized it to be the one thing he surrounded himself with daily: Dragon Aura. Raihan glanced at it again, but nothing had changed. It was still a tiny red crystal with no hidden powers whatsoever besides having the ability to dynamax pokémon. And yet suspicion still flooded over him. Why was there Dragon Aura in something like this?

Leon suddenly got to his feet. “I’m going to find Hop,” he announced, then left the room.

Raihan watched after him, a little confused. Leon knew something that he didn’t, and he did not like it one bit. Things like this weren’t meant to be kept secret.

Flygon poked her head through the doorway. “Fly,” she mewled, stepping inside. Her wings buzzed slightly, making a song-like vibration. Flygons were particularly famous for this, for their wingbeats created the most beautiful of natural symphonies that echoed throughout the mountains they lived in. When he was young, Raihan used to sit out on the roof of his house and listen to them every night. It was still like a lullaby to him.

The dragon-type sniffed at the Wishing Star, drawing back almost instantly and beginning to let out a low hiss.

“What is it, girl?” Raihan prompted.

Flygon bared her teeth at the stone. “Gon!” she growled.

 _An aura so powerful it makes fellow dragon-types agitated,_ Raihan said to himself. This had never happened before.

“Sol.”

He turned to see Absol leap down from the bed. She reached up and grabbed the Star between her teeth and tucked it away into her long, silky chest fur. “Absol,” she scolded.

Absol had only taken it because she didn’t want Raihan to suffer the same fate as Eliana had. By protecting what was left of the undiscovered Wishing Stars, she could prevent what she had seen in the future. A terrible future, where the world was void of all life and shrouded in an eerie red mist. A world where no wind blew and only rock and dirt remained. A world that was ruled by a true demon that calls itself a pokémon. Absol shivered at the memory. She must not let it happen. Never.

Raihan furrowed his brow at the shiny pokémon, biting back a sharp retort. The stone wasn’t his to mess with. “Alright,” he said, “you can have it.”

Absol sneered at him as if she were saying, _damn right I can have it._ She sniffed disdainfully, jumping back onto the bed and curling up to sleep in the same spot as before.

Raihan cautiously left the room, calling Flygon to his side. Eliana was in good hands. And while Leon had some free time on his hands, Raihan actually had some gym leader things to do. He left the pokémon center, heaving up onto Flygon and taking off for Motostoke for the next gym challenge.

Over the course of a week, Eliana had returned to her normal self. She denied any memory of even touching the Wishing Star, of which Nurse Joy said was just part of a minor case of amnesia. The Champion of Sinnoh made her way to Motostoke one last time in hopes that she wasn’t too late to see Hop’s third gym battle. As far as she was concerned, Leon nor anyone else had heard that she was healthily conscious again. Her plan was to catch them off guard and surprise them. She was tired, but she still held on, riding on the back of Luxray through the Wild Area from Hulbury to Motostoke in under two hours.

The stadium was more crowded than normal. Word of the last gym battle with Nessa had gotten around quick. Sliding off of Luxray and placing him back in his ball, she tried to find at least someone familiar in this mess of people.

She lost her confidence when she caught sight of Bede in the distance. She stopped walking, going to turn right back around before she saw Hop with him at the corner of her eye. It wasn’t a friendly conversation that was being transferred between them, either. Hop even seemed to be fuming, fists curling at his sides. Eliana remained where she was, straining her ears to listen in.

“You’re weak. You’ll never live up to your brother’s legacy. Not with that strategy, you’re not.”

“Even if I don’t become Champion, I’ll still be making Lee proud by trying!”

“Please. Even your enthusiasm is exhausting. I bet your name isn’t even mentioned when your family talks.”

Eliana’s eyes widened slightly at that. She watched Hop’s expression, frowning when she saw it turn into a sad yet guilty one. Everything about it said, _that’s true._ Bede’s smug grin made it even more infuriating to witness. Eliana still refrained from stepping in. This wasn’t her battle to fight in.

“It’s just pure luck you’ve made it this far,” Bede continued sourly.

Hp merely glared at him as a reply. He seemed on the verge of socking his rival right in the jaw, which was a side to him that no one ever saw. He was usually always upbeat and raring for a new challenge. This was just pitying to watch.

Bede still went on. “What are you going to do, cry? How’s your big brother going to save you now?”

Then, almost too fast to comprehend, it happened. Hop struck Bede square in the chin, causing the other to stumble backwards a little. Eliana gasped from where she stood. Onlookers made surprised noises, some even beginning to cheer them on.

Bede’s eyes turned dark. “You’ll pay for that,” he snarled. He advanced on Hop, the two falling to the ground and throwing aimless punches at each other. Eliana went to finally step in, but was blocked off by a forming crowd.

“Alright, alright! Break it up!”

All of them turned to the new voice. Eliana recognized him to be Kabu, the fire-type gym leader. It appeared that he had just walked out of the stadium. He made his way through the gathering of people, who had instantly parted for him, and put himself between the quarreling challengers. Bede’s temper subsided enough to where he stopped fighting, but Kabu had to grab ahold of Hop by the collar of his shirt to keep him from killing the other.

“Enough!” Kabu barked.

Hop stopped, chest heaving with angered breaths. He shouldered away from Kabu’s grip, shooting a glare at him. Bede brushed some dirt off his coat, sniffing in disgust before walking away as if nothing had happened. Eliana was pushed aside by him on the way out. She caught sight of a quickly-forming black eye on the gym challenger, though. Hop had done quite a lot more damage than expected.

“Actions like this can get you disqualified. Champion’s brother or not, I’ll have to report this,” Kabu said venomously.

Hop looked down at his feet in guilt. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“‘Sorry’ doesn’t heal broken bones.”

He sighed, golden-brown eyes watered down by forming tears. Hop stepped away from the already parting crowd, storming off to Arceus knows where. Eliana watched him leave, not moving to stop him. She knew he needed some time to cool off on his own. Besides, it wouldn’t be long before Leon would hear of this. News like this travelled like wildfire, especially through social media.

That night at the Budew Inn, Eliana became a little frightened to find that Hop still hadn’t returned from his little ‘cool-off time’ in the Wild Area. It was now past midnight, and she was still waiting in the lobby to see him walk in. Even though she had faith in her best friend’s brother, she still worried that he had gotten into a spot of trouble. That, or he had inherited Leon’s terrible sense of direction. Either was very plausible.

She had a feeling that he was in the Wild Area. Everyone went there to catch a bit of fresh air. Of course, that might not be the case for Hop. But it was still worth a try. If he got himself killed under her supervision, Leon would kill her faster than a Suicune could run from a battle. Eliana just couldn’t take that chance.

After about an hour of searching, the moon full and high in the clear, starry sky, she still hadn’t caught sight of him. All she could see was the occasional wild pokémon. There was a large Steelix slithering across the ground to her far left. She steered clear from it in hopes of not being seen. That is, until she saw something herself that changed her mind entirely.

There was Hop. He was standing face-to-face with the Steelix, not moving a muscle. The giant rock snake bent down, its mouth big enough to consume him in one bite. Eliana panicked, reaching for Lucario’s pokéball in instinct.

“Hop! Run!” she howled, letting out the pokémon. Lucario knew instantly what was going on, taking an immediate battle stance.

Hop didn’t budge. The Steelix recoiled at Eliana’s words, spooked. It spun around, tail whipping around behind it. Lucario luckily knocked the snake away before it struck Hop.

“Close Combat!” Eliana ordered, then rushed to meet Hop. “What in the name of Arceus are you _doing_?! Trying to get yourself killed?” She stood in front of him, not catching the chance to see the look in his eyes that replied, _obviously._

The Steelix had somehow survived Lucario’s attack. In fact, it was still as strong as ever, summoning up a bunch of blades of rock from the ground to strike its opponent. Lucario leaped away, but was still hit by the final rocky outcrop. He was knocked backwards, weakened.

Eliana had a terrible hunch that this wasn’t going to work. Lucario shakily lifted his head from the ground to gaze at her, eyes still full of determination. The mega stone situated on the pokémon’s earring shimmered.

She quickly caught on, raising her mega ring and touching the key stone with two fingers. Lucario was enveloped in a bright white light, his form changing instantly. In a matter of moments, he had mega evolved, advancing on the Steelix with newfound energy and strength. He attacked with Bone Rush, a super-effective move against a steel-rock-type. With the boosted attack strength, the move caused the Steelix to faint nearly instantly.

Reverting to his original form, Lucario stood proudly in front of Eliana. She recalled him after congratulating his triumph, then turned back around to Hop. Though her angry words died on her throat when she saw his expression.

The determined gleam in his golden-brown eyes had faded. Even his usual happy trademark smile was gone, turning into a sad and depressed frown.

“Hop, what’s going on? You know what Leon would say to this.”

Hop’s frown turned into a glare. “What’s Leon got to do with anything?” he fumed. “It’s always about Leon, isn’t it? Leon this, Leon that. Who cares about me anymore?”

Eliana was drawn aback by his outburst. She could see tears forming in Hop’s eyes, and her heart twinged with sorrow for him. “Is this about Bede?” she asked slowly.

No answer. But even without one, Eliana understood completely about why Hop had confronted that Steelix. Leon’s brother had turned suicidal.


	8. A Champion Time... of Depression

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliana has a one-on-one conversation with Hop. Meanwhile, Leon and Raihan encounter a familiar Steelix and have a near-death experience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gay shit ahead  
> I feel like I shouldn't even warn you guys at this point XD

Eliana led Hop to a nearby (and particularly large) fallen tree, telling him to sit. She took a seat next to him, trying to find the right words to say. She didn’t want to seem like she was trying to tell him to knock it off, and she didn’t want to make him more upset than he already was. She chose her words carefully, trying to avoid making things worse.

“Want to tell me what’s bugging you?” she asked softly.

Hop turned his head away, not giving an answer. Eliana hesitated before prompting him further.

“You know Leon loves you, right? He wouldn’t do anything to hurt you. He wouldn’t do that to anyone.”

“All Leon’s done lately is push me away!” Hop snapped. “Bede was right; I’m nothing compared to him.”

“That isn’t true—”

“He’s never home. Even when he is home, everything is about him and how powerful he is. Arceus, my family even acts like I’m invisible when he’s around. All I’m ever known for is that I’m his brother. No one would ever care about me otherwise.” Hop swallowed roughly, squinting his eyes shut. It was evident that he didn’t want to talk about this, but he felt like he had to. His mind was saying one thing while his aching heart was saying another. He was confused, wondering why it was him that had to go through this.

Eliana frowned. She didn’t know how to respond to that. This was something that she wouldn’t fully understand; She was an only child, which made it harder to know the troubles of being someone’s sibling. Hop had it much worse than that, though. His own older brother was the unbeatable Champion of Galar, keeping his reign for over eight years now. The entire world knew about him, but they most likely didn’t give a damn about his family. All people do care about is how popular someone is and go from there. Hop could have been the least popular kid around if no one knew about his shared bloodline with Leon. He was always prejudiced by his actions, and not by the person he was on the inside.

But then again, Eliana had done that, too. She had assumed that Hop was the kind of person that was extremely outgoing, who loved his brother and had hopes and dreams of being the strongest Trainer in Galar, if not the world. But now she could see that there was much more under his cheerful actions. Deep inside, he was just a scared twelve-year-old kid, terrified that his dreams would be shattered into millions of pieces.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Eliana tried.

Hop shrugged. “You should have just let that Steelix go after me. It would have been a lot easier.”

She was honestly appalled by his words. Eliana put an arm around Hop, trying to provide some comfort. It was all she could think of at the moment, but it was just enough to make Hop’s shaky breathing steady out a little. then. When he wasn’t paying attention, she pulled her Rotom phone from her pocket and texted Leon. Long story short, she told him to get his ass over to the Wild Area immediately. There was a lot more to the message, but most of it should rather go unheard.

“I’ll provide you with some personal training if you want. You could learn some Sinnohian battle tactics. That way, no one would get what in the name of Arceus you’re doing.”

Hop smirked slightly, which Eliana took as a bonus point for being a good friend. “Wouldn’t Bede be surprised by that?” he muttered to himself. “But I thought you came here to learn about dynamaxing, not to teach someone else about your own strategies?”

“I’ll do anything it takes to make a friend happy.”

He smiled a little more at that. But his grin faltered when he thought of his recent loss to Bede. It was awful, to humiliate himself in front of a dozen people, including the Chairman’s own endorsed challenger. He was supposed to represent Leon, not make a laughing stock out of him.

Eliana noticed his mood change. She then got an idea. “Why don’t I tell you a story?”

“A story?” Hop echoed, confusion etched onto his face.

“Yeah. It’s a true one, too. I witnessed it myself.”

“What’s it about?”

“Two brothers, ironically. But they’re rivals. Rivals, as in they’ll do whatever it takes to destroy the other.”

Hop looked up at her, suddenly very intrigued. Eliana would have said something else, but she stopped herself when she realized that Hop still didn’t know about Palkia. So, she rerouted her words a little, starting from the beginning, or at least when she walked into the mess.

“A year and a half ago, I took a trip to Alamos Town,” she started. “A beautiful city, really. It was famous for its Space-Time Towers, which happened to be the largest musical instrument in the world. One represented space, and, well, the other, time. Of course, I had to choose the worst time of all to go.”

“What happened?” Hop interrupted. He was now very alert, any evidence of his sadness washed away by curiosity.

“Well, the very day I step foot into town, there was a disaster. There were rumors of a pokémon named Darkrai, and the people hated him because he created nightmares for whoever went near it. Apparently Darkrai lived in the garden that was built in Alamos Town, and he was very protective of the city. While everyone thought he was there to cause trouble, he was really protecting the town from an unworldly force. You see, another powerful pokémon had just appeared in the town. But no one else could see it. And just when Darkrai was being cornered by the townspeople, he launched himself at the center of the Space-Time Towers, awakening the pokémon that was hiding there.

“Palkia had escaped from his own dimension to run from his brother, Dialga. Alamos Town was that safe haven for him. But as soon as Darkrai interrupted his force field, the entire town was transported to another dimension. That, and he was discovered by Dialga.”

“You saw all this?

“Yes, even though it sounds unbelievable. I watched Alamos Town crumble before me as the two legendary pokémon fought. In no time, it would be gone forever. Luckily, there was another Trainer who was visiting the town, and he had a special reputation for saving the world from powerful pokémon attacks. I never saw him, but he did the unbelievable. Using the Space-Time Towers, he played the very song that could calm any pokémon in raging despair. It stopped Palkia and Dialga in their tracks, washing away all anger and resentment they had for each other. Dialga returned to his dimension, and Palkia restored the town to its natural order. But something was still very wrong.”

Hop narrowed his eyes in confusion. But he kept his mouth shut for once, listening intently.

“Darkrai, the very pokémon that tried to save the people, was killed in the battle.”

His eyes widened, sadness flooding his gaze again. “The poor thing,” he said. “All he wanted to do was help.”

“Right. Now that everyone knew what his true intentions were, they felt so sorry that they had hated him for nothing. And yet Darkrai still saved them, knowing he was hated anyways. But when Palkia restored the town, he also restored the inhabitants that had been killed in the aftermath of the battle. That included Darkrai.”

Hop let out a small exhale of relief. “That’s good, right?”

“Of course. I even caught a glimpse of him as I left the town.” Eliana closed her eyes, summoning up the memory. The had first seen the shadow of the mythical pokémon next to her, just before it dashed away. But in the cover of darkness under the trees, she saw his full figure. A very dark grey, with a hint of red and white. His eyes were the most visible, for they glowed a bright teal blue in the darkness. Despite his menacing demeanor, Eliana had felt a strange sort of peace wash over her when she was in his presence. She’d never forget the experience.

But Hop was still confused. “What’s this got to do with me?” he asked, with a hint of despair in his voice.

“It has everything to do with you. In a way, you’re like Darkrai, judged by what other people want to think of you as. In another, You’re like Dialga and Palkia. You and Leon don’t always see eye to eye, right? Just like Palkia, you sometimes just have to walk away and hope things go right later on,” Eliana explained.

Hop nodded, finally understanding. Just a little. A smile returned to his face, his usual happiness restored. “I suppose that’s true,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I’ve never been compared to a legendary pokémon before. Thanks.”

 ** _As he should be. I am quite the example,_** Palkia growled to Eliana.

“You’re welcome,” she replied, returning his smile. It was then that her Rotom phone buzzed, and the pokémon-possessed electronic hovered in front of her.

“Mezzzage for you, Champ!” it announced.

Eliana peered closely at the screen. There was a huge message from Leon, followed by a dozen smaller ones. Apparently his sense of direction had gotten to the worst of him yet again.

“Tell him that we’re by East Lake Axewell,” she told Rotom, then turned to Hop. “I think you should tell Leon what’s bothering you. It might make you feel better.”

“Whatever you say,” Hop replied. He rolled his eyes, resting his chin in his hands.

Seconds later her phone went off again. Finally, after about fourteen messages, Leon decided to call her. Rotom displayed his picture on the screen, and he was nowhere near as happy as he usually was.

“ _Where the hell are you?”_ he hissed. “ _I’ve been looking for over an hour now!”_

“I told you where,” Eliana retorted.

Leon scowled. “ _Like I’m going to know where that is. By the time I get there, I’d have gone to Unova and back!”_

 _“Oh, shove off,”_ another voice growled. Raihan stepped into the picture, pushing Leon aside. _“Did you mention Axewell?”_

Leon shoved him back, taking his previous place. Raihan went behind him, peering at the other end of the line from beyond Leon’s shoulder.

“Dragon boy should know where you’re going,” Eliana laughed. Leon only growled in exasperation at that.

_“Tell Hop that he’d better be happy by the time I get there or I’ll send Charizard to smother him with a good face licking.”_

A disgusted growl from Charizard came from beyond the video image. Hop even grimaced beside Eliana, scrunching up his nose in disgust as if he had caught a whiff of a Stunky. Eliana assumed that the two didn’t get along the well.

The video on the phone suddenly went black, indicating that Leon had hung up. Rotom zipped back to Eliana’s side, taking its usual place in her pocket. It was only afterwards that Hop tried to smother his laughter.

“Your common sense is almost as bad as his sense of direction,” Eliana teased. “And that’s saying something.”

Hop narrowed his eyes, but he still continued to laugh.

•••

Meanwhile, Leon was trying to backtrack from the Dappled Grove in order to find East Lake Axewell. Even with Raihan in the lead, everything looked the same, causing Leon to believe that they were going in circles. After a good amount of bickering, they had finally fallen silent and were trying their best to avoid the many wild pokémon that were wandering the plains and tall grass. One very strong-looking Mudsdale had caused them to make a complete wide circle around it in hopes of not being noticed. But then a very befuddled-looking Steelix blocked their path. It looked like it had just been in a tough battle, some of its rock-like body chipped off in places. Dirt covered most of it, ridding it of its normally silvery shine.

Leon, of course, wasn’t paying attention. It was only until he had walked right into Raihan that they had gotten the massive rock snake’s attention. Raihan had stopped dead in his tracks, only to be pushed face-first into the dirt when Leon ran into him. The Steelix whipped around, coiling itself in a defensive posture, most like other snake-like pokémon did in a spot of trouble, namely Arbok or Silicobra. It snarled, grinding its teeth. That was a true sing of territorial defense. But neither of them knew that, for they didn’t study these specific pokémon. They both merely just froze, neither daring to move even though they were literally on top of each other on the ground, with no defense at hand at all. Charizard and Flygon had even hung back a little, knowing that this creature would be much too powerful to take on alone.

The Steelix slowly slithered forwards, its rock body roughly scraping against the dirt. Narrowing its eyes and leaning down, it gave both Trainers a sniff. Leon began shivering slightly with fear, while Raihan was trying his best to think about clouds (don’t ask why, that’s just his happy place—). Steelix stopped when it went to sniff at Leon, which made the Champion even more terrified to even breathe. The large pokémon then huff out a large breath, showering him with dust and grit before it reared, giving a mighty roar.

That was when they broke for a run. The Steelix followed pursuit, not letting any space come between them at all. Raihan, being a little slower than Leon, almost was eaten alive when the Steelix dived down to snap at him. He yelped, accidentally shouldering Leon aside when he began to run faster.

“Shit!” Leon cursed. He struck the ground on his side, which knocked the wind out of him. While he was wheezing for breath, the Steelix stopped to hover menacingly over him, a growl sounding deep in its throat that sounded like grinding rocks. It was a lot like nails on a chalkboard.

Raihan had also skidded to a stop at this point, realizing what he had just done. “LEON!” he bellowed, the yell itself enough to cause his throat to hurt. But by the time he went to run back to save him, it was too late. The Steelix stuck, fast as a hit from Zeraora or Zapdos themselves.

But it missed.

The attack was misjudged when Leon quickly rolled aside, causing the pokémon to slam its head deep into the ground. It howled in agony, though its voice was muffled by the dirt. Leon took the chance to scramble away, Raihan following at his heels.

They then found themselves at a dead end. The lake of Axew’s Eye spanned out in every direction. Where it ended was too far away to reach now, especially since the Steelix had recovered and was advancing for them at full speed.

“Lee, if we die, I want to tell you it was me that gave you that Applin for your birthday three years ago!” Raihan told Leon.

Leon felt his heart melt at that. “I’m sorry I never gave your hoodie back!”

“I should have never waited so long to figure out I loved you.”

The Steelix was yards away at this point, whites of its eyes flashing in an intimidating manner. Leon reached for Raihan’s hand, intertwining their fingers. Raihan looked him in the eyes, then back to the Steelix.

Suddenly a blast of water was shot at the Steelix. The rock snake was knocked back a couple feet, stopping its trail of destruction. Whipping around, the two saw that a very large Gyarados had emerged from the lake and was flaring its frill at the Steelix. The two were natural enemies in this area, as the two species tended to stay away from each other’s expertise of land. But in the rare occasion that one met the other, it was all-out war until one of them was killed in a battle to the death. And just over territory as well.

Now the Steelix was focused on the Gyarados, even more anger flooding its posture. The Gyarados wasn’t intimidated, for it even bared its large fangs at the other in a low, menacing hiss.

Since their opponent was now distracted, Leon and Raihan bolted away, hopefully in the direction of Lake Axewell. The battle cries of the wild pokémon echoed behind them, now someone else’s problem, thank Arceus.

Charizard swooped down from above, followed by Flygon, and began to keep at a steady pace with their Trainers. They had gone out of the way this entire time, Charizard too terrified to even step in to save Leon from being killed. It was normal for Flygon to flee from a life-threatening situation, though, so it wasn’t surprising that it had done so this time.

Soon they were out of breath, coming to a stop when they were sure they were far from the warring pokémon. Leon didn’t even care, flopping down onto the grass and trying to catch his breath. Raihan remained standing, though he was hung over, propping himself with his hands on his knees. He then began laughing.

Leon was slightly shocked at this. “What’s so funny?”

“We just survived certain death. We had our hides saved by a fuckin’ _Gyarados_.” He chuckled again, moving to kneel on the grass. He looked at Leon, a hint of amusement in his eyes. “You really still have that hoodie? I thought you would have gotten rid of it by now, to be honest.”

Leon blushed, looking up at the clouds. “I dunno. I just felt like I should keep it, so I did.”

“That was five years ago, Lee.”

“Still.” He rolled over on his side, giving Raihan the same playful glare. “Was it really you who sent that Applin?”

Raihan shrugged. “Thought it’d be fun to see you look for your soulmate. Running around like a Doduo with its heads cut off was pretty entertaining to watch.”

There was an award silence as they stared at each other. By this time, Charizard and Flygon had lighted down to nap next to each other nearby. It seemed that even they had formed a bond with each other that was a little more than friendship.

Leon was the one to break the silence with, “Is there anything else you’d like to confess?”

“I dated Nessa just to see if you would get jealous,” Raihan blurted. For the first time in a while, his face flushed dark shade of crimson.

Leon laughed. “Nice to know that wasn’t really serious,” he sighed. “I was honestly terrified that I had lost you forever to someone as snarky as her.”

Raihan let out a relieved exhale. “Thank Arceus I don’t have to deal with her anymore. I mean, the annual gym leader meetings and shit are too much already. She never shuts her trap.”

“Funny thing to hear from a Unovan.”

“Oh, go suck on a Digglet.”

They laughed at each other. Raihan moved closer to Leon so that they were laying next to each other. He couldn’t believe that he had forgotten that he’d come from Unova for the first time in his life as a Galarian. Raihan almost laughed aloud again at the thought, knowing that people from Unova had a huge reputation for being the biggest loudmouths in the world. Raihan had moved from Unova to Galar when he was very young, but it didn’t stop him from trying to be Champion. Alas, Leon had crushed his dreams, so why not go for gym leader instead?

“So.”

“So,” Leon repeated.

“Should we go look for your brother, then? Eliana’s going to give us quite the earful if we take much longer.”

The Champion growled to himself, not wanting to move. His legs hurt from all that running, and he had just gotten his heart rate to go back down a couple hundred beats. He hadn’t felt a rush like that in a long time. All he wanted to do now was go to sleep. But a sharp elbow to the ribs caused his eyes to flash back open.

“Speak of the devil,” Raihan muttered, gesturing at a couple of people making their way towards them.

Leon raised his head to look at them, then let it hit the ground again. “Please, Arceus, can I just have one good day?”

“There you are!” Eliana called to them.

“Nope. Not moving. Not having it,” Leon growled, rolling over to turn his back to them. Raihan rolled his eyes at that, sitting up to at least somewhat properly greet them.

“Leon, get up and apologize to your brother,” Eliana ordered, moving around them so that she was over Leon and staring into his eyes. The Champion purposely shut them, not wanting to deal with this at the moment.

“What did I do?” he whined. “I’ve been a good older sibling, haven’t I?”

Hop was now looking down at him, a look on his face that read that he wasn’t the least bit impressed. “Ain’t that the truth?” he said sarcastically.

Leon finally gave in, sitting back up. By the looks on Eliana and Hop’s faces, he was in deep Mudsdale shit. And he wanted to know _why._ What did he do wrong?

“Talk with each other, sort things out,” Eliana told them, already waling away. “Raihan, a word, please.”

Raihan gave Leon a helpless shrug. He got to his feet, trailing after Eliana with evident hopes that he wasn’t going to get slapped for some unknown reason. When he was they were a fair enough distance from earshot, they began speaking with each other. That left Leon and Hop, who stared at each other, trying to figure out what to say. Leon instinctively got to his feet, adjusting his hat and cape (which was hopelessly dirtied and damaged with their encounter with the Steelix).

“What in the name of Arceus did you get into?” Hop asked.

“One word: Steelix.”

Hop’s eyes widened. “Oh. _That_ Steelix. I thought Lucario had finished it off fir a while.” He gave a half-shrug. “Guess not.”

“What do you mean, _that_ Steelix?” Leon pondered. “You look like you’ve been through a little trouble yourself.”

“One word: Steelix,” Hop copied, shooting a goofy grin. “Eliana saved me from being eaten alive.”

Leon blinked. He looked over to where is friend was talking with Raihan, reminding himself to thank her properly later. If Hop had died… Needless to say, he wouldn’t know what to do with himself.

“So,” he started, “what’s got you going off your rockers? What’d I do this time?”

“It’s hard to explain, really.” Hop looked away, his happiness fading.

It wasn’t long before Leon was confided in all of his troubles. It was heart-wrenching, knowing that he had done all these things and not even realize it. Luckily he got the chance to do something about it, thanks to Eliana.

Meanwhile, the said Champion of Sinnoh was deep in a discussion over last year’s championships cup. Eliana’s plan was to get Raihan to confess what in the world had really happened. She had gotten curious, looking online for some sort of help. Sure enough, it got her wondering afterwards how the one live viral video had missed her feed.

“Leon kicked your ass last year, right?” she started off, trying to gain Raihan’s full attention.

He instantly gained a bored expression. “As always,” he muttered.

“Well, I heard some rumors that last year was a little different.”

Raihan’s eyes snapped wide open. “You know about that?”

Eliana nodded. “It’s called national television, dragon boy. No one’s going to miss something as huge as that.”

“Tell me about it.” There had been many occurrences when he would just be walking along the street and run into Leon unexpectedly. Of course, onlookers would get quite excited to even see the two together. It got old quick, really.

He nervously tapped a finger on one of the pokéballs strapped to his waist (on which the Gigalith was very annoyed with), wanting to hide himself from the world. He almost wanted to tell Leon’s Charizard just to use a Flamethrower on him and get it over with.

“I’m not judging, just so you know,” Eliana tried. “I’m happy that Leon even found someone he’s interested in that wasn’t someone that had come running up to him from the crowds. I trust you. I’ve known you long enough to tell that you’ll take care of him.”

“You seem to like him a lot yourself,” Raihan replied.

“No. I don’t love him like that. I love him like he’s my own brother. Besides, I’m a loner; I’m not into relationships.”

Raihan laughed. “Good to know I don’t have competition.”

“You can have him, by all means. Someone else gets to deal with his horrid sense of direction for once.”

It was nearly four in the morning when the four had finally come to see eye-to-eye again. Hop was happy again, Leon was still a bit confused, Raihan was a tad embarrassed, and Eliana was happy to have gotten at least some information. So for the rest of the night, they had decided to set up camp. At the moment, Charizard lit a small campfire with a plume of embers while Luxray and Garchomp fought over a berry like always. The other pokémon were either eating as well or were asleep, which left their Trainers awake and still surprisingly active. Though Hop was nodding off quite a bit, eventually falling asleep with his head rested on Wooloo’s pelt, Corvisquire and Raboot curled up with him.

The remaining three exchanged stories for the remainder of the night. It was only until they heard a ghostly howl split the night did they fall silent.

Eliana’s head perked at the noise. It wasn’t a pokémon cry that she had heard before. It was a bit high-pitched, and it reverberated through the valley like a strange lullaby. Another howl sounded, but it was slightly deeper in tone and more sonorous. It was the second voice that caught her attention the most.

Leon merely shrugged it off like it was nothing, explaining that it was a natural thing to hear in the Wild Area. Raihan agreed, but he still kept a watchful eye on the darkness.

Not too far away, just atop a cliff face surrounding the Watchtower Ruins, two large pokémon overlooked the Wild Area with a sharp yellow-orange gaze. They were watching the four and their pokémon, trying to determine if they were the chosen ones. The larger of the two, a red-white sort of color, locked his eyes on the girl. He stared at her for a while, feeling the special sort of aura that radiated off of her even from a distance such as this. The blue pokémon rather had his eyes set on the sky, waiting for the moment when their enemy approached.

“It’s nearly time, brother,” he said solemnly.

“Yes, I can feel it. There’s an odd sort of energy to the north, isn’t there?”

Zacian looked at his brother, a serious gaze plastered on his face. “We don’t have much we can do without the heroes. We must find them soon, or it will mean the end of Galar.”

“Patience. Offense isn’t always the best way to handle things,” Zamazenta admonished. “We must wait. All will be given to us in time.”

Zacian frowned, but said nothing else. His elder brother always was right in the end. “I hope your patience doesn’t get you killed.”

With that, the legendary Sword turned and bounded away. Zamazenta remained where he was, still staring at the girl. She had to be the one. If Zacian just had the patience, he would see that the other Chosen One was here as well.

_The Heroes of Galar shall rise again._


	9. Crowned Sword

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raihan ends up almost dying to a certain Wishing Star while Eliana takes Hop out training again. As soon as they return, Zacian grants them with their presence and breathes Raihan back to life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally figured out italics and shit

_One week later…_

The stone. That was all he remembered when he woke up. The stone was the problem. He sat up, blinking at his surroundings. The route to Stow-on-Side was already warming up with the sun’s rays, creating a watery haze over the sand dunes that he loved so much.

There was the stone, inches away from his hand. It was glowing a crimson red, a color that he had grown to fear since the last time he was awake. When was that? Two days ago? This Wishing Star was very dangerous. Not only did it hide a destructive force, but it also drained the life-force of anything that touched it, placing them in a coma-like sleep. He should have known that would happen to him. After all, Eliana had suffered the same illness only weeks ago.

Raihan didn’t remember being on Route 6 the last time he was awake. He remembered just leaving Hammerlocke because Hop was on his way to challenge the fourth gym.

The memory came back to him full-force. He had snuck the Wishing Star away while Absol was sound asleep next to Eliana. He wished that he hadn’t done that. Almost instantly, he was attacked by a powerful otherworldly force. It screamed “dangerous”. And to think he actually liked Eternatus before this.

Wait.

Eternatus.

“Rose!” he shouted aloud, suddenly remembering.

The sounds of footsteps in sand sounded outside the camping tent he was in, and they were very hasty. Leon was soon making his way inside, a huge wave of relief washing over him.

“Thank Arceus you’re awake,” he said. “We thought you were done for.”

“You should have took it,” Raihan replied weakly.

Leon shook his head. “You were holding it too tight. We couldn’t pry your fingers open for nothing.”

Damnit. That meant that if he had hopes of reaching out to Eternatus again, he probably wouldn’t live to see the light of dawn ever again.

Leon took a seat next to him, sitting cross-legged. He put an arm around Raihan, saying, “Eliana took Hop out for some special training. I stayed behind to keep an eye on you.” He pointed outside the tent at the dunes, which were shifting at the very moment. “I had a feeling you’d come around if we went on to one of your favorite spots in Galar.”

Raihan couldn’t smile. Too much was on his mind. He stared blankly ahead, trying to piece together his encounter with Eternatus. It was all too fuzzy, and it pissed him off. He knew it was important, and the vision had provided an answer to prevent something horrible from happening.

He didn’t even hear anything Leon was saying until he mentioned a sword and shield.

“What?”

Leon blinked, slightly startled. “I said that Eliana’s planning to look into researching the Sword and Shield when we get to Stow-on-Side,” he repeated. “Why, is there a problem?”

 _Of course._ It was all coming together now. Raihan could recall Eternatus’ very words to him.

_The Sword and Shield are broken. There is no hope of saving your precious region now._

Broken. That meant that they were just relics, not pokémon. But then again, they had been used over three thousand years ago, so of course they’d be withered away over time.

But the thought still gnawed away at his mind. If there were no Sword and Shield, then what could stop the Darkest Day? There was so much he knew, yet he also knew so little. It wasn’t enough to explain to everyone. Not just yet.

“Rai? You alright?” Leon snapped his fingers in front of Raihan’s face, jolting him out of his thoughtful trance.

“Fine,” he muttered, stuffing his hand in the pockets of his sweatshirt. He felt cold, like all the warmth had been sapped out of him. Even as he thought about it, his body was threatening to faint on him again. Lightheaded and weary was all he felt besides dread and terror.

Leon knew something was bugging him. But knowing Raihan, he would come around on his own time. So he changed the subject.

“Our strongest pokémon took turns carrying you this entire time,” he laughed. “Poor Charizard could hardly walk after last night, he ached so bad.”

Raihan was still only half-listening. He didn’t want to change the subject. “Does Eliana have an idea about where they are?” he asked suddenly.

Leon frowned in confusion. “Where what is?”

“The Sword and Shield, you daft idiot. Where are they?”

“No one knows, Rai. Not for thousands of years. Only rumors are what’s left.”

Raihan shook his head. “What about that weird pokémon you and Hop encountered? Could it have been guarding something?”

All these questions were starting to concern the Champion. He had even forgotten that certain encounter up until now. Even if he tried to make out the pokémon’s features, it ha been too foggy to tell anything.

“I remember blue,” he answered. “Blue and white.”

That caught Raihan’s attention pretty quick. “Anything else?”

“Sorry. Couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face.”

He growled to himself, trying to recall the book he had found not too long ago with Eliana. “Did it look like a large dog at all? Maybe about four feet tall? Did it make any kind of noise?”

“Raihan, I’ve told you all I can. I don’t know.”

The howls. The noise. The Wild Area, a week ago. The howls… Could it be them? Maybe the Sword and Shield weren’t relics after all. There was just too much to make out, and it was making Raihan’s head hurt. In fact, he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. His vision was going blurry and he hadn’t even noticed.

Now Leon began asking questions. “You said something, before I came in here. Do you remember what it was?”

“Rose. It’s Rose.”

Rose. It was all his fault. And yet Raihan didn’t even know why he knew that. It was a hunch, and nothing more. What was it that Eliana said she found on the corner of that book? A rose, right?

“Rose,” Raihan repeated desperately, his voice beginning to waver. _Not now. Stay awake. Stay._ “Stay…”

He slipped back into unconsciousness, Leon having to catch him before he fell backwards. Confused as ever, he let Raihan rest, taking his own place next to him. He was worried sick. That stone… It caught his attention, and even though he wasn’t as skilled as Raihan was with the concept, he could still feel the light waves of Dragon Aura wafting off of it.

But what did it all _mean_?

Eliana was having the same troubles.

•••

The desert-like plains were starting to get really, _really_ hot. It was only eight in the morning, and it felt like she was standing on the edge of a volcano. But sand wasn’t the only thing that was here. It was really rocky as well, with many pokémon wandering and mingling among themselves. The most common sightings were of Dugtrio, Helioptile, and Yamask. But Hop was determined to find a rare pokémon to challenge and perhaps add to his team.

The two were now stalking a wandering Silicobra, which was a bit of a rare sight. Hop, being impatient as he was, couldn’t contain himself. Eliana tried to grab him before he ran forwards, but was too late. The young Trainer walked right up to the Silicobra, causing the snake to spook. It coiled back, flaring its sand-like ruff and hissed menacingly. Hop stopped, crouching down to be level with the pokémon, just as Eliana had taught him to do. Intimidation against something like this could get him bit, and the fangs of a Silicobra were far from what anyone would want to go through. Though they were concealed at the moment, the second Hop reached out to touch it, the fangs revealed themselves, stark white and about as long as his own finger. He yelped in surprise, falling backwards onto the dirt.

Eliana didn’t move. She knew that this was his issue, not hers. He had to prove himself somehow, and catching a pokémon as cranky as this could do wonders for his reputation. So she remained where she was, watching intently and trying hard not to shout. Absol tensed beside her, knowing something big was happening.

The Silicobra slithered back a little, still sporting its fangs and flared ruff. Its lime-green eyes bore daggers into Hop’s soul, causing him to freeze. The snake waited a few minutes to calm down a bit, lowering its head in a form of submission.

“Hey, little guy,” Hop greeted. He went to reach out to it again, but it went right back to its defensive stance, hissing again. “I’m not gonna hurt ya.”

It didn’t seem convinced at the slightest. It reared, threatening to strike. Hop pulled his hand back just as it did. This thing was not having it, and it was not happy in the least bit.

And yet Hop still persisted, showing that he wasn’t afraid. The Silicobra flinched at his movement, but the angry gleam in its eyes faded. It was working.

 _Don’t do anything stupid,_ Eliana pleaded silently. _Of all times to choose to freak out, don’t do it now._

The Silicobra was now very carefully slithering forwards to meet Hop’s outstretched hand. It hid its fangs away, not so intimidated anymore. Hop was actually patient for once, mostly because he was terrified to scare the pokémon and get his hand bit off. Soon enough, the snake pressed its snout to the palm of his hand, tongue flicking in and out to smell him.

“See? I’m not that bad,” Hop told it. He assumed it was safe to pet it now, doing so and surprisingly not getting attacked.

The pokémon relaxed, coiling around itself not in intimidation, but in comfort. Eliana silently thanked Arceus for not letting Hop get himself killed. She slowly approached them, handing an empty pokéball to Hop.

“Do you think he fits your team?” she asked. “A ground-type isn’t something that you have yet.”

“I’m experimenting. Toxel was hard enough to catch as it was,” Hop replied. He had been changing his team a lot lately, even removing Wooloo for the time being. He still kept Raboot, though. The Toxel and Cramorant that he’d caught just recently had proved formidable opponents, and each one was a different type. Toxel, an electric-poison, and Cramorant was a flying-water. If Hop successfully captured this Silicobra, he’d have yet another new type on his team.

The Silicobra in mention was eying the pokéball in Hop’s hand with mixed emotions. It was scared, but curious at the same time.

“How about it? Want to face the gym together?”

In a flash of blue light, it went in the ball. Almost immediately it clicked, showing that it was staying there. Hop gave a whoop of triumph, the happiest he had been in a long time. Eliana couldn’t help but giggle at his excitement.

“Wouldn’t Raihan be happy to know you’re raising a Silicobra?” she said with a hint of resentment.

“Why?”

“He owns a Sandaconda.”

That got him thinking. “Maybe bringing one back to camp will cheer him up enough to wake up.” His happy expression changed to a bit of a forlorn one, clutching the pokéball tightly in his fist. Ever since Raihan had passed out, Hop had been desperate to cheer up his brother. Leon had gone into such a depressed state that it was starting to bring them all down, which wasn’t that good of determination for the next gym challenge.

Speaking of the gym challenge, there were two gym leaders for the challenge in Stow-on-Side. Bea and Allister were what they called “randomizers”, which meant that whoever Hop was facing for the fourth gym was going to be determined last minute based on his team when he arrived at the stadium. Eliana had a feeling that Bea was going to be Hop’s issue instead of Allister based on his type matchups, though his team was pretty equal set because of types, so it could be either one.

Eliana put a hand on his shoulder for reassurance. He looked up at her, putting a smile back on his face. After so much pressure and troubles, he still persisted to stay happy in hopes to lighten everyone else’s mood. Is was a special talent of his, and just like his happiness, his sadness was contagious, too. Even with the recent events, it was amazing how Hop had went from suicidal to happy as can be within a day.

“It is getting pretty late,” Eliana said. “We should head back and check on your brother.”

He nodded, suddenly very determined. He put his new Silicobra with his other teammates, bolting away at full speed. “Race you!” he called back, cackling tauntingly.

Eliana ran after him. “You got a head start!” she retorted, but she had a plan anyways. No one challenged the Champion of Sinnoh and got away with it. She called out Luxray on the fly and jumping onto his back, telling the lion to run as fast as he could go. Absol trailed at their heels, running the terrain like it was nothing. After all, she had come from a mountain biome.

Soon they surpassed Hop, who cried out in surprise. Even against the unbeatable odds, he ran even faster. “That’s cheating!”

“You didn’t specify the rules,” Eliana sneered playfully. She clutched Luxray’s black mane, feeling the hot wind whip against her face. She missed doing things like this; Ever since she became Champion of Sinnoh, she never really had found the time to explore at all. Taking a vacation to Galar was a once-in-a-three-year thing for her. She missed the good old days when she was able to have all her pokémon at her side while they raced across the mountains and forests of Sinnoh.

She won in the end, obviously, but Hop was surprisingly not too far behind. As soon as he got to his destination, he slowed to a stop, falling to his knees and wheezing for breath. A smile was still plastered on his face, though, which was a good thing. “Nice one,” he heaved. He gave out a loud groan, slumping forwards to lay in the sand. “So warm…”

Eliana laughed at him. She slid off of Luxray (who was very proud of himself) and recalled him back into his pokéball. Absol was still at her side like always, though she soon spiked the fur on her shoulders. That was never a good sign.

“What is it, girl?”

Absol turned in the direction of one of their three tents and dove into it, causing a surprised yelp from Leon to emit from inside.

Seconds later, the pokémon pranced back outside, a red stone held between her sharp teeth. Was that…?

“Hey! Get back here!”

Leon followed Absol out, trying his best to catch her. But the white-and-pink pokémon merely slid out of his grasp, trotting away haughtily and back to her Trainer’s side. Leon stopped, chuckling in relief when he saw her.

“Thank Arceus there’s a reason for all that,” he said with a bit of embarrassment.

“I didn’t tell her to do anything,” Eliana bit back. She peered down at Absol, but the stone she had held before had vanished.

With a glare at Absol, Leon walked up to Eliana and greeted her properly. “Did you find anything good out there?”

Hop suddenly wasn’t winded, shooting back to his feet and pulling out Silicobra’s ball. Without hesitation, he called out the snake, which appeared in a blue flash. But it soon reared when it saw all the people around it, feeling intimidated.

“A Silicobra,” Leon stated, though his voice wasn’t exactly congratulating. It was more of an _oh great, not this again_ tone. “How… exciting?”

Hop paid no attention to it, kneeling to stroke the snake to calm it. He was pleased with himself, and that was all Leon needed to see to accept the new pokémon. But the Silicobra, while it had retreated from its defensive pose, stared at the Champion with green eyes like slits. It then squealed and boded behind Hop when Charizard came up behind Leon.

Charizard tilted his head in confusion. He gave Leon a hurt look, but got a simple head pat instead of an explanation. He puffed out a plume of smoke from his nostrils in disappointment.

“Something wrong with a Silicobra?” Eliana asked.

“Well, I don’t exactly have _fond_ memories of Silicobra, that’s for sure.” Leon gave a bored sigh. “Raihan’s Sandaconda wasn’t exactly the best-behaved pokémon when he caught it. It took a lot of time and patience to train it to not hate everybody it came across.” He seemed to wilt at the mention of Raihan’s name, which brought up the next question that Eliana had.

“How is he, anyways?”

“He was awake, but he’s not doing too hot now.”

Eliana had a feeling that something like that would happen. She had only had the stone for a couple hours, but Raihan had had it for two days. If she had nearly died just from that short amount of time, Raihan would surely be clinging onto his last breaths soon enough if he wasn’t treated.

She walked around Leon to enter his tent, where Raihan laid unconscious. From what she could see from a distance, his breathing had become normal again, thank Arceus. But she still needed more confirmation that he was alright, so she kneeled down and grabbed his wrist, checking for a pulse.

It was twice as slow then when she left.

She let his hand drop, which returned to lay limply at his side. Though Raihan’s expression was peaceful at some moments, it contorted into pain once in a while. Eliana blinked away some tears, trying to figure out something that she could do for the time being. They needed help, but Stow-on-Side was still quite a ways out north. It was too late to go back to Hammerlocke, too, so that was out of the question.

Even if they did find help, it could be too late. Eliana put a hand over her mouth, trying to figure out what to tell Leon. But she didn’t have to say anything at all. The Champion was watching her this entire time.

“He’s gone, isn’t he?”

Eliana jumped slightly, not expecting him to be there. She shook her head, but replied, “Soon enough, he will be.”

Leon looked down at the ground, a mixture of expressions crossing his face. Most of it was anger, resentment, and sadness. But deep in his beautiful golden-brown eyes, Eliana could see a broken heart. It was enough to make her start silently crying, but she willed herself to stay strong.

“Maybe there’s someone out here that can help?” Leon tried desperately. His voice was cracked with tears, but he still went on, “Even a pokémon that knows Heal Pulse…”

“Only Xerneas has the power to give life, Lee. We don’t have time to go all the way to Kalos and galavant through the forests looking for a legendary pokémon that’s always on the move. It took years just for her to be discovered,” Eliana told him.

Before Leon could suggest anything else, a shrill scream from Hop sounded outside. Both of them turned to the sound, scrambling out of the tent to see what the issue was. But it had suddenly become very foggy, which was nearly impossible to happen in a place like this. Eliana could barely see inches in front of her.

“Hop!” Leon called.

“It’s the pokémon!” Hop yelled back. “It’s here!”

 _What is he doing on about?_ Eliana wondered, but a quick movement in the fog was enough to let her know that something of great power was hidden in this immense and heavy fog. Another flash of blue, and suddenly she was knocked on her feat with a large pokémon towering above her. One large white black-clawed paw was on her chest, pinning her down. She went to scream, but suddenly its harsh yellow gaze caused her to go still and silent. The grey-blue wolf stared into her eyes so deeply it was like they could see into each other’s soul. Eliana knew then that this creature was not here to harm them.

“Let me see him.”

She gasped at the sound of its voice. It could speak, even without using telepathy like Palkia did to communicate. This thing actually _spoke_ _aloud_ like a human could.

Leon was frozen with fear, along with Hop, who was still cowering behind a large stone in the middle of the sandy clearing.

Eliana watched the pokémon remove its paw, sitting up. Now she could see at least half of its body in the fog. But it couldn’t be… It looked almost like the legends of the Darkest Day had described the legendary Sword. But something was off. One of its ears was half-gone, and its body was covered in old white scars. Two long tufts of fur flowed out from its neck and trailed behind it, almost like salmon-pink ribbons. Could this really be Zacian, even without its sword and armor?

Zacian spoke again, this time much louder. “Let me see him.”

Raihan. It was talking about Raihan. Eliana nodded, looking to the tent she had just come out of. Zacian followed her gaze, padding away to peek inside. Eliana exchanged confused looks with Leon, wondering what on earth the legendary Sword would want to do with a dying human. Even Hop had come out of his hiding place to watch. Zacian moved halfway inside, a warm pink light wafting off of its body. Eliana gaped in astonishment. Fairy Aura. The one true thing that could balance death and bring life itself. Turns out Xerneas wasn’t the only one that had it.

The aura felt really good to be around. There were no real words to describe it, really. It was just tingly and made one feel all warm inside. It got the adrenaline going in anticipation, but also brought a peace upon the three that they had never felt before.

Zacian retreated, yellow gaze landing on each of them. “You should be honored, humans,” it said with a silky tone, “for I have just saved a life that had almost been claimed by Eternatus. Forget you ever saw me.” With that, it leaped away into the dense fog, never to be seen again.

Leon took no hesitation to run to the tent. Eliana hung back, still staring off to where Zacian had disappeared. The fog was already lifting, letting the desert mountain landscape be seen again.

“Holy mother of Arceus, that was awesome!” Hop cheered. “You heard that, right?”

Eliana nodded solemnly. “Yes. We all did.”

“That was the same pokémon I saw in the Slumbering Weald. But all it did was chase me off.”

Hop’s words gave Eliana a sudden jolt of realization. Was Zacian the pokémon that Leon had described seeing in the Weald when rescuing Hop? But why would a legendary like this be in a place like that?

“He’s awake!”

They both turned to the sound of Leon’s cheerful voice. They gave each other the same overjoyed smile, rushing to join the Champion.

Raihan was indeed awake, or half-asleep by the looks of him. His teal eyes were still dull with weakness, but the true color was returning at this very moment. The Fairy Aura had worked. The dragon-type gym leader stared blankly ahead, still recollecting his thoughts.

Leon enveloped him in a huge hug, nearly squeezing the life out of the poor guy (just after he survived certain death—). Raihan’s blank expression turned into a genuine smile.

“I missed you,” Leon told him, voice barely above a whisper.

“I love you, too.”

Eliana didn’t give much reaction when they kissed. It was Hop that freaked out, jaw dropping and face flushing. Apparently he still wasn’t used to this yet. That, or he had no clue, which was genuinely almost impossible due to how he watched every single one of his brother’s matches. Eliana gave a silent laugh, pulling Hop in for a side-hug.

So Raihan had lived, and only because he was saved by a legendary pokémon, no doubt. But one thing still tugged at the back of Eliana’s mind: Why had Zacian helped them? Why was Eternatus attacking through the Wishing Stars. Why was it _her_ Wishing Star that had to be so different?

Eternatus was growing so desperate that he was seeping the life out of his victims one by one. But was he really so strong that he’d be creating the Darkest Day so soon? It seemed impossible to think about, but it wasn’t all that unusual. Eliana had a knack for getting dragged into these kind of things. Turns out Giratina’s encounter wouldn’t be the only demon she’d face in her lifetime.

An hour later, they were on the road again for Stow-on-Side. In the distance, far from their line of sight, Zacian still watched them. He didn’t know why he had gone to save that human, but something told him that it had been the right thing to do. But the dragon-type master wasn’t the one he was concerned about. No. It was the youngest of the group. He had a forbidding feeling that he had to protect the young’un at all costs. That Wishing Star must never fall into his hands.

Next to him, Zamazenta smiled. Finally his brother understood. The Chosen Ones were right in front of them, but it was still too early. _Patience. All will come together in time._

But perhaps Eternatus wouldn’t wait for that time to come around. The dragon was still gathering energy, slowly but surely, strong enough to reach out to multiple beings at once. If this kept up, the Darkest Day could happen in a month or less. Zacian’s saving of Raihan had set back his plans only a little, and Eternatus was now even more desperate than before knowing his old enemies were on his tail again. Soon, he told himself. Soon Galar would be his.


	10. Crowned Shield

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally reaching Stow-on-Side, Hop obtains his Fighting Badge. Though the team's celebration is short lasting when Bede attempts to destroy an ancient mural. Later that night, Zamazenta appears to answer some desperate questions... and bring up a long-lost and terrifying memory for Raihan.

After the evens with Zacian, Eliana was deeply determined to try and find it again in hopes of finding Zamazenta as well. She dwelled deep into her research whenever she found the time, which was scarce now that they had to constantly keep moving in order to reach the next gym on time. Hop had made quick work of Bea, rightfully claiming the Fighting Badge as his. The next stop was Ballonlea, which consisted of traveling through a dark, dense forest in order to get there. It had to be worth it, though, for the town was said to be the most beautiful settlement in all of Galar.

But of course their traveling plans were interrupted when they had just started leaving Stow-on-Side. Leon had gone to speak with Rose (in which Raihan internally flipped out about), and Raihan trailed after him in hopes of getting answers. As Hop and Eliana waited outside the town’s stadium for them, a new figure approached them. Absol snarled at her appearance, still a bit judgmental about strangers.

Hop recognized her, and Eliana had a feeling she had seen her before. It was only when Hop greeted her when she remembered her name.

“Sonia! It’s been a while,” he said.

Eliana blinked. Now that she looked at her, this definitely could be the Sonia that she used to know before she left for Sinnoh. She had been best friends with Leon alongside her, a sort of third rival until Eliana left the picture. Sonia had been a very skilled Trainer already, but nothing about her really screamed “Trainer” about her anymore. Her fiery red hair was the same, given that it had grown some since she last saw her. It was the rest of her besides her icy blue eyes that wasn’t really decipherable.

“Hop, nice to see you,” Sonia replied. Her voice had only changed a little as well. “I take it that your gym challenge is going well.”

Hop beamed. “Sure is! That dynamax band the professor gave me sure helps a lot.”

Sonia nodded, turning to Eliana. “Now it has surely been quite a while since I’ve seen you, El. You’ve changed a lot.”

“That’s what happens when you don’t see someone for eight years,” Eliana laughed.

“Champion of Sinnoh suits you. I don’t really battle anymore, but it is nice to dream once in a while.”

That had her drawn aback. “No battles? You’re not a Trainer anymore?”

“Oh, well, kind of. I still have Yamper. But I’ve taken a different path.”

The said pokémon gave a small bark. Eliana hadn’t notice him until now. She forgot how cute Yampers could be. Absol leaned down to sniff at it, earning a happy yip from the small dog. She drew back, disgusted by this pathetic creature.

Hop explained, “She’s the professor’s assistant now. A real smart one, too!”

“I just wish Gram would see that,” Sonia sighed. “But enough of me. Where’s—”

_KaBOOM_

That didn’t sound good. The three of them turned to the sound, all eyes locked on a short rocky outcropping. That was where the mural was, but hardly anything was left of it due to a large Copperajah smacking the living daylights out of it. But someone was with it. They almost looked like—

“Bede,” Hop snarled. He suddenly wasn’t so happy anymore.

“He’ll destroy the mural!” Sonia cried. She was already running into action.

Eliana ran after her, Hop reluctant to do so as well.In a matter of moments they were at the mural, which was almost crumbled to the ground by now. Bede was in fact behind all this, ordering the Copperajah to destroy the historic work of art.

“Stop that right this instant!” Sonia ordered.

Bede turned his head slightly to look at them through the corner of his eyes. He gave an annoyed sigh, fully facing them now and glaring at them with such hatred that Eliana felt like she could topple over.

“This is none of your concern,” he hissed, “so I suggest you turn around and leave.”

Hop stepped forwards now, bravely standing up to Bede. “Not happening,” he said dangerously. He was already reaching for one of his pokéballs, tossing it into the air to reveal his Cramorant.

Bede caught on, but he had already brought out Dousion. It was no simple Solosis anymore, and it must be a lot more powerful since they last fought it. But Eliana didn’t bring out any of her own pokémon. She was curious to see how Hop would fare in this battle.

“Last chance. Stand down or I’ll make you,” Bede told him, eyes narrowed to angry slits. The Copperajah next to him had stopped hitting the mural, turning to see what was happening.

Hop didn’t budge. Instead he ordered Cramorant to attack. “Wing Attack!”

Bede smirked smugly. “Psybeam.”

Te two pokémon moved in unison, parrying the Dousion’s attack with a glowing wing. With another quick order, it spewed a huge gush of water at its opponent. The Water Pulse soaked the Dousion to the brim, but it still remained standing. Without any consent from its trainer, it flung rocks at Cramorant telekinetically, striking a clear super-effective hit.

Hop growled in desperation. “Brine!”

The Dousion suddenly disappeared as soon as the attack was used. It reappeared behind Cramorant, smacking it aside wit ha single harsh swat. Teleportation was in its favor, which could mean bad news.

“Finish it off with Psychic,” Bede told it calmly.

The Dousion got to it before Cramorant was even back to its feet. It fainted nearly instantly, falling to the dirt with its wings splayed out limply around it. A couple blue feathers were scattered on the ground from the battle.

Hop took no time to waste when bringing out Toxel. He knew it wouldn’t do too hot against Bede’s psychic-types because it was a poison-type, but its electric attacks should fare well at the least.

“Nuzzle!”

“Psyshock!”

The Toxel, quick as a bolt of lightning, dodged the attack, bolting forwards with its nose buzzing with electricity. It rammed face-first into the Dousion, shocking it at a stinging voltage, successfully paralyzing it.

“Bite!” Hop yelled, knowing he had just done something right. He was really happy for himself, but he didn’t want to celebrate just yet. Bede still had three more pokémon to crush him with.

The Toxel defeated the Dousion with the super-effective dark-type move, growling in triumph. Bede frowned at his loss, but took only a moment to bring out his Hattrem.

The battle raged for quite a while. Eliana and Sonia watched intently, visibly disappointed when Toxel was finally brought down. Silicobra was brought out next, destroying Bede’s Hattrem and Gothorita in no time. But alas, the final pokémon, a Ponyta, struck it down with a swift Horn Attack. Now they were both down to their last pokémon, Hop’s Raboot raring for battle.

Both of them had formidable speed, but Ponyta specialized in special attack while Raboot was more into the physical moves. A pure fire-type, there was really no advantage on either side. Unless the Ponyta had ground, water, or rock-type moves, either one could win.

But before Bede could even tell his pokémon to do anything, he was distracted by someone else who had walked up to join the small crowd of Eliana and Sonia. His eyes widened, and for the first time Hop got to see him terrified for no apparent reason.

Eliana followed the challenger’s gaze, surprised to see Chairman Rose. He did not look happy, either. Leon wasn’t too far behind, and of course, neither was Raihan.

“What in the name of Arceus are you doing?” Rose demanded.

Bede stuttered, at a loss for words. Hop watched with a sly smirk, glad to see his rival getting scolded for something and successfully getting punished.

“Mr Rose, I can explain,” Bede tried.

“What on earth could you be using _my_ Copperajah for? Destroying a historic piece of art?”

The onlookers transferred their gaze between the two, expecting something huge to happen.

“I’m doing my job,” Bede growled. “You told me to—”

“I didn’t tell you to do anything,” Rose interjected. “Bede, I’m sorry to say this, but I’m going to have to disqualify you from the gym challenge.”

All of them gasped. Even Hop was a bit surprised.

Bede drew back his lip in a definitive sneer. He turned to the Copperajah, going against his orders when telling it to strike the mural again.

There was no preventing it. The rock wall came crumbling down, shrouding the group in a swath of dust and grit. But as soon as it cleared, however, they all gaped at what had been hidden behind the mural this entire time.

Two statues of pokémon stood, both wielding a sword and shield. Eliana immediately recognized it to be Zacian and Zamazenta, but kept her mouth shut before she called it out. Not everyone present at the moment knew that the legendaries even existed.

“Well I’ll be,” Sonia breathed beside her.

Rose acted like he didn’t even see it, recalling his Copperajah and forcing Bede away as he left. Bede shot one final glare at Hop before he was gone.

“Well, that’s new,” Leon stated. “Never had a challenger disqualified for something like that.”

“One less possible competitor for you,” Raihan replied.

Hop brought back Raboot, gazing up at the two statues in awe. Eliana couldn’t blame him — they were beautiful. Now that she could look closer, two more statues were carved into the stone behind the wolves.

“The two Heroes,” Sonia said, almost to herself. “But I’ve never seen them with pokémon before.”

The other four exchanged guilty glances. But none of them mentioned their encounter with Zacian.

“What does it all _mean_ , though? The Darkest Day, stopped by two Heroes of Galar. But were they human or pokémon?” Sonia looked at them, giving an apologetic shrug. “I have to look further into this.”

Leon nodded, watching her go. He waited until she was out of earshot before saying, “So it was a legendary that saved Raihan.”

“Zacian,” Eliana confirmed. “Almost identical to the statue, too.”

“It’s not just a legend,” Raihan mumbled.

Hop suddenly turned to leave. “I’m going to train,” he said, leaving them behind. He was disappointed. Even though he had almost won against Bede, it still was unsure who was the clear winner. Given that they had just a little more time, either could have come out on top.

Leon sighed, a lost expression filling his gaze. It was obvious that he regretted missing out on the battle. Maybe if he had saw it, he could have given some pointers afterwards to better his brother’s strategy. But he didn’t see it, so it was nearly impossible to help now.

“We need to find them.” Eliana looked away from the statue and back to Leon and Raihan.

Raihan nodded. “Eternatus won’t wait.”

Leon narrowed his eyes in confusion. Something was happening here, but he couldn’t quite decipher it. They knew something he didn’t.

“Sol!”

Eliana transferred her gaze to Absol. She had honestly forgotten that she was there during that heated battle. The disaster pokémon arched her head to bite into the fur on her chest, pulling out a small red stone afterwards. It was the Wishing Star that had brought Eternatus to them.

Absol padded up to Leon, dropping the stone at his feet. She looked up expectantly his, nudging the stone forwards a little.

“Hell no! I’m not going anywhere near that thing!” Leon yelped. Absol wasn’t pleased with that answer.

“Lee, I think she’s trying to help you understand,” Eliana tried. “You’re the only one who hasn’t met Eternatus face-to-face besides Hop. But we wouldn’t do that to him. He’s not ready.”

Leon still was unsure. “I doubt Zacian would come and save us a second time. I could die.”

“Not on my watch, you won’t,” Raihan growled.

The Champion’s cheeks dusted slightly with crimson. He acted like he wasn’t flustered, though, taking a step away from Absol. The Pokémon only growled, causing him to freeze dead in his tracks.

“Absol, if he doesn’t want to, you shouldn’t force him,” Eliana scolded.

Absol glanced back at her with an uneasy look. She glared back at Leon, snatching the Wishing Star back and skulking away with an anger that could be felt from a mile away.

“Lee, the only way you'll really know what’s happening is contacting Eternatus,” Raihan prompted. “It’s scary, but really useful.”

“You have no idea what he told me, do you?”

Both men shook their heads at Eliana’s statement. She looked them both seriously in the eye, her heart nearly beating out of her chest as she recalled the massive legendary in front of her.

“The Sword and Shield are useless,” she began. “At least, that’s what he said. They’re broken, so Zacian and Zamazenta won’t gain any power at all even if they tried. The Heroes are gone. Without them, the legendaries are powerless to stop the Darkest Day.”

“So there’s no stopping it?” Leon interjected.

“Unless one of the legends give us an alternate solution, no. But maybe…” She thought for a moment, thinking back to the encounter with Zacian. “If we can just talk to Zacian, even Zamazenta, we could get an answer.”

Raihan exploded into laughter. “Us? Talk to legendaries? You’ve gone off your rockers, mate!”

It was then that Palkia intruded on the conversation. **_What am I, a simple Magikarp?_** he hissed. His voice made all three of them jump slightly.

Raihan stuttered, forgetting that the dragon was even there. “I, uh — I mean, not that I don’t count you as a legendary—”

Eliana and Leon gave him harsh glares, the Champion of Sinnoh even cocking an eyebrow. Raihan looked down at his feet in submission, thinking that he could die of embarrassment if he wanted to.

Eliana suddenly had an idea. _Palkia, do you know anything about the Darkest Day?_

**_A little. Father told me that it happened the same time the war in Kalos raged. He said that if it had gone any longer, he would have stopped it himself._ **

“Is there anywhere that we can go that’s away from all these people?”

Leon shrugged. “You know I’m pants with anything involving directions,” he said apologetically.

“The Glimwood Tangle has some pretty dense forests,” Raihan suggested. “No one really ventures that far in because it’s so easy to get lost. Everything starts to look the same after a while.”

“Looks like that’s outta my league,” Leon chuckled, flashing a toothy grin. Raihan rolled his eyes.

“Anything will do. I’m so desperate for answers, I could try talking to a fucking rock,” Eliana sighed.

“Don’t let Gordie hear you say that.”

After a quick trip to the pokémon center and a bite to eat, they were off for the Tangle. It was only a little ways north, so it wasn’t long before trees began to sprout from the rocky, sandy landscape. Even some glowing mushrooms dotted their roots here and there, growing in size the further in they went.

Eliana thought it was beautiful. Pokémon were hardly seen, but they were occasionally poking their heads out at them with curiosity from the tall grass. She paused for a minute to gaze at a pokémon she had never seen before. Quickly pulling up the old Pokédex on her Rotom phone, she tried searching for a name. She soon fell upon the pokémon, identifying it to be a Morgrem. They were apparently very common in the Glimwood Tangle.

Realizing that she was being left behind, she broke into a jog to catch up to the boys. They were completely oblivious, exchanging a casual conversation like she wasn’t even there. She couldn’t blame them, however, as she assumed that this was the first in a long time they had gotten to express their feeling freely to each other without having to worry about onlookers. Eliana’s gaze flicked down to their intertwined fingers, surprising a giggle. This was just to precious to witness.

After a little more walking, she began to hear an extra pair of footsteps. But when she looked behind her, all she saw was Absol, who was snarling at any pokémon that tried coming near them. Shrugging, Eliana continued.

Then it sounded again. This time, even Absol had whipped around to face their follower.

The Morgrem had followed them this entire time. It shrieked at their noticing of it, bolting off in a flash of red and black. Even Leon and Raihan had stopped to see what was holding her up.

“Oh. Forgot about them little buggers,” Leon growled to himself. “Watch your bag; they’ll sneak stuff out of there faster than a Nickit can.”

Eliana subconsciously pressed her bag closer to her body. Sneaking one last look behind her, she went on.

After about an hour or so, they stopped. The forest here was very dark, illuminated only by the large glowing mushrooms that grew there. There wasn’t anyone in sight here, so Eliana took the chance to finally let out Palkia, still brimming with the questions she had kept pent up for so long.

The dragon shook himself out, giving a mighty yawn. Palkia chuffed, looking down at the three (four, if you count Absol) to greet them.

 ** _I doubt I can answer anything, girl,_** he apologized, **_but I shall try._**

Eliana let out a long-needed exhale of relief. She sat down on a nearby boulder, resting her legs after hours of traveling. Leon and Raihan merely sat next to each other on the silky grass nearby, still chattering away like birds. Palkia simply glared and dismissed them from his thoughts while he waited patiently for his Trainer to state her question.

“First thing’s first,” Eliana started, “do you know Zacian and Zamazenta? Have you met them?”

Palkia shook his head. **_I’ve heard of them, but never personally met them._**

“But your father apparently has.”

**_Yes. Though he hardly ever spoke about them. They’re mere ants compared to him and a select few, given that they haven’t had a huge role in the creation of the world._ **

“But Arceus has definitely dealt with Eternatus before?”

Palkia cringed at the name. **_Many times. Once every couple thousand years, they collide. Eternatus usually almost wins every time._** He gave a low growl. **_Almost as bad as the Ultra Beasts, that Eternatus._**

“Ultra what now?”

They turned to face the other two. Raihan was the one who had said it, now regretting even uttering a word when Palkia’s gaze fixed on him. Leon seemed like he didn’t know that much, either, so Eliana went to explain.

“Ultra Beasts are pokémon from other worlds. While their powers are destructive here, they’re quite common in where they’re from. They’ve only been seen in Alola, though, so don’t worry.”

 ** _Guzzlord is the worst,_** Palkia hissed. **_Consumes everything in its sight without a second thought._**

“So are you saying Eternatus is like an Ultra Beast?” Eliana asked. “It’s from another world?”

**_Yes and no._ **

She hated it when he did that. Almost all of their conversations ended up going in this direction if it didn’t include the word “perhaps” in it.

But Palkia needed no prompting for when he explained himself. **_Eternatus entered the world from a meteor that struck Galar. Though that meteor was indeed from another world, if not an entire different dimension._**

So Eternatus was an alien. How convenient. It almost made Eliana want to skip her vacation to Alola in the near future. But she had dealt with trans-dimensional beasts before. Hell, she owned one, and he was standing right before her.

 ** _That is all I know. I apologize,_** Palkia said softly. He dipped his head, retreating back to his pokéball.

Eliana still had hundreds of questions swarming her mind like a bunch of angry Beedrill. It was infuriating to say the least, but her resentful thoughts were interrupted by Leon.

“It’s getting late. Maybe we should set up camp and continue tomorrow?” he said.

Eliana nodded, though her thoughts were beyond camping at the moment. She looked up at the leaves that covered the sunset-lit sky wondering if Arceus was watching them at the moment. She made a silent prayer in hopes that she could find an answer soon, before it was all too late.

She stroked Absol, who had curled up beside her. In the darkness, the faint red glow of the Wishing Star seeped through her white fur. Suddenly she felt a wave of something sour rise within her. If only Leon had just taken the stone, he’d know what they were dealing with.

No one simply talked about Eternatus and not mention his size. Sure, sixty feet didn’t seem like a lot until you actually stood up to it personally. And Eliana thought Palkia and his siblings were huge… Oh, Eternatus was only about the size of six different Palkias standing on top of each other. It wasn’t that drastic of a size.

The hours ticked by, and the forest grew dimmer and dimmer. She was growing impatient. The other two had already gone to sleep, and yet she still remained where she was this entire time, waiting. She didn’t know what she was waiting for, exactly, but she had a feeling that it was important. She didn’t even see the immense fog that was quickly rolling in. She didn’t hear the sounds of the forest, nor the soft snores the boys made from within their tent. She was completely transfixed by this feeling of importance, drawn to a single spot in the overgrowth.

Then, slowly, a large shape stepped out of it. His yellow eyes gleamed ferociously, yet they weren’t angry. They were calm, full of knowledge and understanding. The resemblance with Zacian was great, though many differences told this one apart from the other. This one was a deep crimson red, with navy blue tufts of fur sprouting from the back of the wolf’s head and making up its tail. There were white accents marking his underbelly and snout, and black stripes marked his face. Many scars covered his body, marking him as a true warrior of the past.

Zamazenta came forwards to stand in front of Eliana, their eyes locking in a way that felt like they were one and the same. Eliana felt a strange calm wash over her, merely staring at the legendary Shield as if he were an equal. Alas, that’s exactly what it felt like in his presence.

“You are troubled,” Zamazenta said. His voice was a deep growl, though it was on the verge of a sonorous howl.

“I don’t know what to do,” Eliana confided. “Without the relics, you’re powerless.”

The Shield shook his head with a chuckle. “No. We are only powerless without the Heroes. Though it would be useful to have the relics.”

“But the Heroes are gone!”

Another shake of the head. “Not anymore.”

Now she was more confused than ever. The Heroes were back? Since when? She stuttered, searching for the right words.

“All will be understood in time. For now, my young girl, you mustn’t worry about Eternatus. His being is still far from showing.” Zamazenta dipped his head, almost like he was submitting to her.

“Why are you here?”

There it was: the one question she had been dying to ask ever since she laid eyes on the Shield. Zamazenta tilted his head, much like a curious dog would.

“I may be a hero of legends,” he replied, “but that doesn’t keep me from speaking with others, does it?”

Eliana reluctantly shook her head. _But why do you show yourself only during times like these? Why did Zacian save Raihan? How long do we have before we al die?_

These questions and many more were threatening to pour from her mouth, but she firmly kept it shut. She was already asking more than she really should be, but Zamazenta just seemed so much more calm and welcoming than Zacian ever did. He also seemed much wiser and open to questions, but she didn’t want to abuse that privilege.

A howl broke the silence. It was the same one from the Wild Area a week ago. Long and full of heart, it gave new hope to anyone who heard it. Zamazenta turned to the right, addressing the sound. With one mighty howl of reply, both the Sword and the Shield broke into their own song, providing the land of the Glimwood Tangle with a very special lullaby.

Eliana listened intently to Zamazenta’s howl. Much deeper than Zacian’s, it was still just as beautiful. But she wasn’t the only one gawking at this display of vocalization. Leon and Raihan had woken up due to the sound being so close. They were hardly outside the tent when they froze. Zamazenta stopped his song with a deep, relaxed breath. He eyed the two with a calm gaze.

“So you’re the one my brother has told me so much about,” he said to Raihan. The dragon tamer made no reply. “Go on. I don’t bite. Much.” He chuckled at his own joke.

“Is that…?” Leon’s own words trailed off. He wasn’t one to be easily impressed, but meeting two legendaries (not including Palkia) in under twenty-four hours? That was a new record.

“Yes, Champion, it is I. Come forwards. I can’t see you very well in this fog; my vision isn’t as sharp as it used to be,” Zamazenta said.

Eliana held her breath as the Shield greeted Leon halfway. The wolf was much taller, so he had to look down a bit to gaze into the Champion’s eyes.

“Ah. There you are, boy. You’ve made quite a name for yourself in the past decade,” he said with a tone of amusement.

Leon looked down in embarrassment. “Just determined to give Galar a good reputation,” he replied.

“And that is why you are the Champion still, is it not? It has been a long time since Galar has had such a determined young soul guiding its way through the years.” Zamazenta raised his head to the sky, searching through the treetops for the stars. “Though Galar has no king or queen anymore, you’d be a very suitable king for a region as spectacular as this.”

“Does that make me a king, too?” Raihan asked sarcastically.

Zamazenta laughed. “It is unusual, but I suppose it does.” He approached Raihan, giving him a good look over before speaking again. “Your strengths are great as well. For someone from another region, you have your heart set here. It’s fared well for you, Dragon Tamer.”

“Thanks, I think.”

“Do you care to tell me why you’ve remained here for so long when your ideals lie in Unova still?”

Raihan shot a look at Leon, a true smile playing on his lips. “Because I fell in love with the greatest Champion in the world. I can’t bear to move to another region just to become their Champion when I’m so far away from him.”

Leon beamed. Out of all the times Raihan had aimlessly flirted or flattered him, this felt like the most heartfelt statement of all. It melted his heart, and he felt like he could crumble to the round in a heap of a flustered mess.

Zamazenta nodded. “A very loyal statement, young Dragon Tamer. Maybe later on you will find that you ideals still lie in Unova, and yet your heart can be set in both places.”

“I don’t like how you say _ideals_ ,” Raihan said bitterly. “I don’t exactly have the best memories with that word.”

The wolf narrowed his eyes. “Zekrom may be called the Ideals Pokémon, but he is hardly evil because so. It shouldn’t make your ideals any different.”

Eliana was meanwhile silently wondering why Raihan didn’t like Zekrom. After all, it was a legendary dragon-type, and from Unova, no doubt. Why wouldn’t he enjoy a legendary like that?

Zamazenta turned away, addressing the others before looking to the sky again when Zacian let out another howl from the distance.

“My time here grows short. Perhaps we shall meet again someday,” he said. He turned to Raihan, a knowing glare in his eyes. “And maybe you will learn to respect your own bloodline.”

Raihan narrowed his eyes in confusion. But before he could ask, the legendary Shield bounded away through the overgrowth, the forest falling silent once more.

The next morning, the three were sitting together in the clearing enjoying a quick breakfast and some small talk. Lucario had helped Eliana pick some berries that were growing nearby, only to have half of them eaten by Luxray when she wasn’t looking. She playfully flicked his ear, earning an annoyed and dominant growl from the lion. He clamped his teeth harder on the berry he was eating, tail lashing. There was no stopping his hungry rampage once it had started.

Though Garchomp was an exception. Soon the dragon was fighting with Luxray over the last remaining berry, the small morsel of foot being tugged at opposite ends between their teeth. They circled, growling at each other. Absol, being the little sneak she was, leaped between them and snatched the berry, trotting away with her tail hung high. The other two gawped at her, going back to glare at each other with a heated anger.

The other pokémon were hanging out and playing with each other, and it was the first time Eliana had personally seen Leon and Raihan’s other team members besides Charizard and Flygon.

Leon’s Dragapult seemed to be a formidable opponent, but it was his Haxorus that was the most intimidating. The yellow-and-black dragon eyed them all with a harsh glare, fangs flashing at whoever came near it. Eliana knew that raising a Haxorus was hard work — almost as hard as taming a Gyarados or Hydreigon. The only person the dragon actually considered looking at sincerely was his Trainer, who treated him like a huge baby. The other two, an Aegislash and Rhyperior, were a bit questionable for a team like this. While Aegislash seemed like a more of a defender, it was also a very speedy and talented pokémon when it came to attacking with its razor-sharp sword. Rhyperior didn’t fit at all. It just seemed… off. Though Leon loved it, which was enough for Eliana to understand.

A Gigalith, Sandaconda, and Duraludon were Raihan’s other pokémon besides Flygon, and it was a bit surprising to see that two of the four weren’t even dragon-types. Then again, Raihan’s love for sandstorms kind of explained this choice of pokémon, for Gigalith had the ability Sand Stream, which brought upon a sandstorm almost immediately after entry in a battle. Sandaconda summoned a sandstorm when it was defeated, which made up for its lack as a non-dragon-type.

Eliana knew it was wrong to prejudge people’s team by their title, as she herself didn’t have a selective type for her own, but Leon actually had almost an entire team of dragon-types. If it weren’t for Aegislash or Rhyperior, he could be a full-on dragon-type Trainer. But then she remembered that Charizard wasn’t a dragon-type either, though he certainly looked like a dragon. Raihan’s gym leader status was more important to show off though, as he could be mistaken as a weather-obsessed Trainer by anyone who didn’t know him.

It was only until Eliana mentioned this to them that Raihan exposed his past in Unova. He said that he had grown up in Castelia City before moving to Galar, which just happened to be branched off into a desert route. He’d caught his Gigalith there when it was just a Roggenrola. He tried explaining that sandstorms were his way of remembering home.

It brought up another question for Eliana, but Leon was the one to ask it. “What’s your deal with Zekrom? I thought you would have loved it, being a Unovan legendary dragon and all.”

Raihan blinked at the question, obviously wanting to have avoided it in hopes of having it forgotten. But he knew it was unavoidable.

“There was an attack,” he began with a choked voice. “Half the reason my family moved to Galar was because we could hardly leave the city without being bombarded by lightning storms. I was the superstitious one, of course. I knew all about how one of the three Unovan legendaries was an electric-type. Zekrom was known for bringing harsh lightning storms in its wake wherever it went.”

“But that doesn’t really explain your hatred for it,” Eliana blurted.

“Shh,” Leon hissed. His eyes were glued on Raihan, completely immersed in the story.

“I wanted to see Zekrom so desperately that I snuck away from home in the middle of the night during the worst storm of the year,” Raihan continued when they fell silent again. He took a shaky breath, the memory torturous to recall. “I got my wish. Turns out he wasn’t exactly that fond of humans. While I was gawking away, it nearly killed me.”

Eliana and Leon made surprised gasps. “But you lived, didn’t you?” Eliana said. “I mean, you’re here in front of us.”

Raihan shrugged. “I have the scars to prove it.”

Leon flinched at that remark. He seemed to know what the other was talking about, but a rush of realization filled his eyes. He must have seen the scars, not knowing what they were from until now.

The gym leader pulled up his sweatshirt a little, revealing three large parallel white lines scored his abdomen, big enough to have been caused by Palkia’s own talons. Subconscious, he hid it again, a dark look in his teal eyes.

“I hated the word _ideals_ ever since,” he finished. “I started looking for the truth instead. Moving to Galar gave me chance to start fresh.”

Leon even had tears in his eyes. Eliana was trying hard not to cry. _Oh, Arceus,_ she silently cursed.

But Raihan was haunted by something else as well. Zamazenta’s last words to him had concerned him.

_And maybe you will learn to respect your own bloodline._

That would mean the unthinkable. It was impossible. As much as Raihan wanted to debate over it, he was already worked up enough by telling the story of his scars. So he kept his lips sealed, hoping to change the subject.

Within an hour, they set off again for Ballonlea.


	11. A Dynamax-Sized Issue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the return to Hammerlocke, a Liepard mysteriously dynamaxes out of nowhere. After taking care of it, Eliana and Hop make their way to Circhester while powering through a harsh sandstorm. Eliana freaks out over a Snom and Palkia doesn't like it.

They had made it just in time for Hop’s fifth gym challenge against Opal. He had changed his team yet again, getting rid of his newly caught pokémon for a Trevenant, Heatmor, Snorlax, and Boltund. He of course still kept his Raboot, who had recently evolved into Cinderace. Because of his starter’s type, Opal’s fairy-type attacks did nothing against his Gigantamaxed team member. Needless to say, the battle was quite _heated_.

The four went off in the direction of Hammerlocke again (Opal joining them for a quick errand). Eliana still couldn’t get over the beauty of Ballonlea and the way the town lived in complete symbiosis with the forest and its inhabitants. It really showed what could be done if people actually tried to make peace with nature. It lorded over the horrible attempts at destroying life (namely Cyrus causing Giratina’s awakening).

It wasn’t all that long of a walk from Ballonlea to Stow-on-Side, and it wasn’t even that long of a trek from there to Hammerlocke once she got past the rocky cliffs and outcrops. A straight path, really, after that. Eliana still could never forget the strange beauty of the city’s structure. It all just looked like one huge castle, which was fitting for a place that was centered off of dragons. Though in a large place like this, Leon purposely stuck close to the group because he was scared to get lost. It wouldn’t be the first time, either. He’d gotten lost in Hammerlocke so many times in his youth that it was quite sickening to think about. Raihan was always the one to find him in the end, which was part of the reason why they were so close. Leon literally owed his life to the man.

It was Hop’s second time in Hammerlocke, so he was still in awe when they entered the city’s limits. He was trying so hard to contain himself as to not run off and explore. But he knew that he would come back a third time for his final gym challenge against Raihan. That is, if he even made it that far.

Circhester was their next stop, where both the ice and rock-type challenges were held. It was completely obvious that Hop would face Gordie instead of Melony, but the young Trainer always came out on top no matter the what the type advantages were. At least, so far he did. But there was still Raihan’s challenge here in Hammerlocke once he defeated Gordie, and he wasn’t exactly that confident for that.

See, Raihan was known for being Leon’s self-proclaimed rival long before they even had a relationship. Though he got his ass beat every year during the Championship Cup Finals, he sometimes came a hair close to winning. Leon was always trying to tell him that the one flaw he had was using Duraludon as his last pokémon, which was weak to Charizard’s fire-type moves. But Raihan insisted that he keep with his tradition, saying that there was no other way to truly win if it wasn’t a triumph over a type disadvantage. Besides, he always loved a challenge. If only he would listen, however, he could have become Champion of Galar years ago. What was surprising was that Leon was trying to actually give Raihan a chance to dethrone him. The gym leader was stubborn and bull-headed, but he was _his_ stubborn and bull-headed gym leader.

Leon chuckled to himself at Hop’s _totally not obvious_ excitement. “Go on, we’ll meet you there,” he said, and his younger brother almost immediately dashed off as soon as the words left his mouth.

“He’s pretty quick. I’ll give him that,” Eliana mused. “His races with Cinderace are starting to pay off.”

The Champion smiled. “His partner suits him.”

“What ever happened to that Grookey, anyways? Eliana claimed Sobble years ago, and now Hop took Scorbunny. Did anyone use Grookey?” Raihan questioned.

“Oh, I’ve been training him up. Hoping to use him in this years Finals, actually,” Leon replied. “I left him back at Wyndon, not expecting to be gone for this long.”

“He would probably pound your precious rock and ground-types into the ground,” Eliana laughed.

Raihan narrowed his eyes at that, stuffing his hands angrily into the pockets of his sweatshirt. That was his silent way of saying _fuck you_ for those who knew him well enough. “I was going to use a different team for the Finals, anyways,” he grumbled.

Leon arched an eyebrow. “That’s new. Whatcha planning on using?”

“None of your bloody business if it means you know what type advantages you should use!” Raihan snapped. He clenched his jaw, holding back another harsh statement. “A Torkoal, maybe,” he added quietly, not expecting Leon to hear it. But he did, and he made a mental note not to bring out Aegislash or Rillaboom if they fought each other again during the Finals.

“And?” Eliana prompted tauntingly.

Raihan growled. “Goodra,” he answered firmly between gritted teeth.

 _Arceus, this man is easy to crack under pressure,_ Eliana said to herself.

“And before you ask, I’m adding a Turtonator, too.”

“Thanks,” Leon said cheerfully. The statement made Raihan choke on his own spit and air when he realized that he had just set himself up for failure again.

“At least most of them are dragon-types,” Eliana mentioned.

“That’s the whole point.”

Raihan’s cheeks were now completely flushed with red, either from embarrassment or anger. Maybe a mixture of both. “Just for that, I’m going to crush your brother’s dreams of being Champion when I make dragon fodder out of him during my challenge.”

That stuck a nerve with Leon. Though he said nothing, keeping a bitter comeback to himself. Though he had no idea how to even reply to that. _How do you even make a comeback?_

“Be nice to the poor kid. He’s already having a rough time as it is,” Eliana scolded. Over the past few days she had been favoring Hop more and more as if he were her own brother. Leon was secretly jealous, but he didn’t mention it at all. Hop needed someone to be there for him when he wasn’t around.

Leon nodded solemnly, thoughts suddenly wandering to his brother’s whereabouts. He hadn’t seen him properly since his battle with Bede back at Stow-on-Side’s mural. Hop didn’t even stay behind after Ballonlea’s gym challenge to say hi. Either the kid was just raring to get the challenge over with, or he was avoiding them for some odd reason.

“You alright? Purrloin got your tongue or something?” Raihan said suddenly.

“No, just thinking.”

It wasn’t a lie. If anything, it was obscuring the entire truth. Raihan shrugged it off, but Eliana still narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She wasn’t the kind of person to let things go like that.

“So,” she began, changing the subject, “I’m glad I finally convinced Absol to stay in a pokéball. Only took about a week.”

“Bloody thing wouldn’t leave me alone,” Raihan growled half to himself. “Always was staring at me like I was the plague. I don’t know _what_ I did to her, but she apparently didn’t like it.”

“Maybe it had something to do with you nicking the Wishing Star from her in the middle of the night,” Eliana snapped.

Raihan flinched. He’d honestly forgotten about that bit. “True. I didn’t mean anything by it; I was just worried.”

“Karma came back to kick you in the ass when it almost killed you.”

“You don’t have to rub it in.”

“Speaking of Wishing Stars,” Leon interjected, “any idea what we’re going to do about Eternatus?”

“Zamazenta told us we should forget about it, so we’re going to forget about it,” Raihan growled.

“What if Zamazenta was wrong, though? What if Eternatus really is coming back and we actually have to do something about it?”

Normally Eliana would agree with that, but something clicked inside her that told her to defend Zamazenta’s words. She felt like she should reject Leon’s statement, but she also felt like she should let it slide. She kept her mouth shut, not feeling like contradicting herself today.

Raihan, on the other hand, was the one to jump the gun. “You weren’t face-to-face with that _thing_. You don’t understand how terrifying it is to even think about Eternatus coming back to Galar. Maybe if you weren’t so goddamn stubborn, you’d figure out your priorities and just take the fucking stone!” Raihan then shut his mouth, realizing what he had just done. He tried to apologize, but he was scared that he’d say the wrong thing again.

Leon seemed to wilt at Raihan’s outburst, a hurt look filling his eyes. He’d never seen him like this before, and he hoped he never would, but here he was on the receiving end.

“Lee, I didn’t…” He trailed off, looking away. Damn him and his big mouth.

“Hey.” Leon put his hand on Raihan’s chin and turned it to him. “Don’t worry about it. We’re all stressed about this.”

Raihan still seemed unsure, moving out of Leon’s touch. “Don’t wait up for me,” he muttered, walking away without looking back. Leon went to stop him, but Eliana held him back with a hand on his shoulder.

“He needs time to think,” she said softly.

Leon looked down at his feet, thinking he was a failure. First, he chased off Hop, and now Raihan had shoved him off. He didn’t think it could get any worse.

Except it did.

 ** _There’s an evil presence nearby,_** hissed Palkia’s voice. **_It’s very close._**

“Would this be the same presence you sensed the last time we were here?” Eliana sighed in exasperation. “Honestly, Palkia, you’re being paranoid.”

That didn’t make the deity happy. **_I know when and when not to be worried about something. This is a very dangerous force._**

“Then where is this said evil being?”

A moment’s hesitation. **_Right below us._**

Maybe Eliana wasn’t seeing it or he was going loopy, but Leon could have swore he heard a growl then. It was nowhere near Palkia’s voice, but rather much deeper and more menacing. Eliana seemed unfazed, rolling her eyes and taking a seat on the rock wall that surrounded the city’s walkways.

 ** _This is no laughing matter! You are in danger, and I will not allow you to be killed because of your stubbornness!_** Palkia boomed. It was almost like he was threatening to burst out of his pokéball to lecture them in person.

**_You! Champion!_ **

Leon yelped in surprise. Palkia’s voice was pointed directly to him, the mere force of it causing him to go slightly lightheaded.

 ** _Talk some sense into this girl!_** the dragon ordered.

He stuttered, still bamboozled. “I at least need to know what’s going on!” he said, a bit louder than he probably should have. A couple of Trainers walking by gave him confused glances, their expressions betraying their concern for the Champion.

“What’re you looking at?” Eliana growled.

The two sped up, easily intimidated. When they were alone again, she said to Leon, “I think he’s just being over exaggerated. There’s probably nothing here.”

And yet there was. Maybe if Eliana wasn’t being so bullheaded she could sense it, too. Or maybe she just wasn’t familiar with Dragon Aura. Yes, it was definitely Dragon Aura that was seeping through the ground below them. Invisible to the naked eye, only very few people could sense it. Those people were usually ones that hung around dragon-types all day. Raihan was an expert on the matter, and Leon had just picked it up from hanging out with him and his own dragon-types for so long. This wave of Dragon Aura in particular had a strangely dark feel to it, filled with hatred and contempt. The was only one other thing that had been surrounded with this aura, and it made Leon break into a terrified and nervous sweat.

Maybe he would meet Eternatus sooner than he hoped.

“El, we really should be going,” he tried.

“You, too? Arceus, you two are impossible!” She growled to herself, moving to her feet and storming off. Leon trailed after her, but he soon realized that they were going in the complete opposite direction of where they should be going.

The last thing they saw before the ground exploded into red light was a wandering Liepard strutting her way by. Only one thing could cause this kind of phenomenon, and Leon’s suspicions were proven correct when the Liepard dynamaxed.

“Aw, hell no!” Eliana cried. She was still unfamiliar with the concept of dynamaxing, so she had no clue what to do in this situation. Then again, pokémon never dynamaxed randomly like this.

Leon already reacted, ordering Charizard to come forwards and confront the gigantic Liepard. But Eliana shouted at him that he was doing it all wrong.

“It’s a dark-type!”

“So?”

She called out Lucario, trying to make a point. “Fighting, bug, and fairy-types are going to do better! Lucario, Power-Up Punch!”

Scoffing in disbelief, Leon also attacked. “Dragon Breath!”

The blast of hot plasma struck Lucario by accident just as he went to attack the Liepard. Angered, the bipedal wolf turned on Charizard and bared his fangs.

“For Arceus’ sake — Get a hold of yourself!” Eliana shouted.

Leon snorted in contempt, telling Charizard to use the same move again. This time it actually worked, striking the Liepard right in the face. The large cat growled, the very ground itself shaking with the noise. Leon narrowed his eyes at Eliana, who was still glaring at him through eyes like slits. He’d been Champion of Galar for how long now? He can handle a little dynamaxed issue without being yelled at the entire time.

Already angry enough as she was, Eliana didn’t want to take the chance of losing. She proceeded to mega evolve Lucario, hoping that she’d end up getting rid of this gargantuan creature before someone actually got hurt.

The Liepard still prevailed, swatting a huge paw that sent Charizard sprawling on the ground a couple dozen yards away. The dragon yelped in pain, but stood back up nonetheless. He wasn’t that easy to put down.

Suddenly a new attacker launched itself at Liepard, landing a harsh blow to the ribs. When the purple aura faded, Raihan’s Flygon was visible. The dragonfly screeched, attacking again with a frenzied Dragon Claw.

“About time you showed up!” Eliana hissed. After telling Lucario to use Aura Sphere, she turned to face Raihan.

“How’d you know where we were?”

“I followed the screams and explosions,” Raihan replied with a hint of amusement. He nodded towards the dynamaxed pokémon. “Something tells me you pissed this thing off.”

“Does it matter? We need to knock it out before it steps on something,” Leon yelled.

Their pokémon continued to advance on Liepard, attacking it on three sides. It eventually lost its footing, red aura fading. In no time, it would faint. But they still had to keep attacking.

“Force Palm!”

Lucario’s attack successfully paralyzed the pokémon, making it easier for the other two to land a couple blows. The Liepard gave one final roar, then crumpled to the ground as it shrunk back to its normal size. It looked like a Durant compared to the monster they had just fought.

Onlookers cheered for them, at least the ones that hadn’t ran for the hills when the incident first happened. Leon, being the extroverted man he was, waved at them like it had been nothing. Eliana scoffed, knowing that it was going to be a while before they got to moving again.

“I saw everything! You were awesome, Lee!”

“He wasn’t the only one there, you know.”

Hop either didn’t hear that or he just flat-out ignored it. He continued showering his older brother with excited compliments and ramblings, making the Champion more embarrassed than he already was.

The three had run into him not too long after the battle, and it appeared that he had been in a spot of trouble himself, for his own Cinderace had been seriously injured. But by what, they still hadn’t found out.

“Where have you been this entire time?” Leon fretted, letting his brother’s words fly right past him. “I’ve been worried sick!”

Hop frowned, giving a helpless shrug. “I was busy,” was his only reply. It just made Leon even more concerned and suspicious.

“Busy doing what? Fighting a living tree?”

Indeed, Cinderace was absolutely covered in leaves. The rabbit huffed in annoyance, sending one leaf blowing away from his forehead.

“Actually, that’s not far from the truth. A wild Trevenant attacked.” Hop wasn’t angry, though. If anything, the young Trainer was overjoyed. “I knocked it out pretty quick for it being so strong. I guess type advantages were also important.”

“Kid’s got some fire in him,” Raihan muttered. Eliana nodded in agreement.

“Trevenant usually only attack when someone’s harming the forest. That, and they’re possessed by the souls of lost children. Did you do anything to tick it off?” she asked, suddenly very intrigued.

Hop shrugged. “Nothing that I know of.” He turned to Cinderace, crossing his arms. “What’d _you_ do?”

Cinderace scoffed, but was distracted by more leaves that had fallen on his face to do anything about it. Finally he was fed up, setting his entire body alight until each leaf had disintegrated to ash. He even stomped on the ashes for good measure.

Leon still wasn’t convinced, though. “If you would have lost to that thing…”

“I know, I’d be dragged away and eventually possess a Phantump; I _know,_ Lee, I’m not as dumb as you think I am!”

“Not exactly the brightest either,” Raihan said, covering up his words with a fake cough. Hop still caught it, glaring at his brother’s boyfriend with newfound annoyance.

“We should just be glad you’re safe,” Eliana said. “It’s all in the past, so we can’t do anything about it now. But we can _learn_ from our mistakes so we don’t end up doing the same thing again.”

Hop went to argue, but stopped himself when he realized that it was true. He knew that what he had done was stupid and reckless, but at least he still had proven his point that he was stronger than they thought he was.

“You’re going to Circhester next, aren’t you?”

He nodded, instantly forgetting their argument. “I might not have the best team for facing Gordie, but they’re still really strong. I’m sure I can beat him in no time.”

“What all is on your team? You keep changing it,” Leon asked.

“Actually, I think I finally figured out my strategy,” Hop answered enthusiastically. “Wooloo evolved, and so did Corvisquire. I even caught a Pincurchin and Snorlax, too!”

“None of them are actually effective against rock-types,” Raihan began, but was cut off when Eliana elbowed him roughly in the gut. He coughed, doubling over in pain. The Champion and his brother laughed at that, Leon not bothered to do anything about it since he was sill a bit peeved about their argument from before.

“You’ll have to pass through the ruins on Route 8 if that’s the case,” Eliana offered. “Maybe you could catch a Falinks to help even the odds? A fighting-type could be pretty useful.”

“Nah. I’m good right where I’m at,” Hop said. He certainly looked determined and confident, which was a huge change from when they last saw him.

Raihan muttered something under his breath, but a sharp glare from both Leon and Eliana silenced him almost immediately, making him drop his gaze to the floor in a sort of submission.

“By the way,” Hop suddenly said, “have you seen Bede at all lately?”

That surprised Leon. “No. Why? I thought you’d want to be far from him after what happened.”

“I wanted to give him a rematch. You know, because we never had a clear winner back at the mural.”

“So you’re _intentionally_ looking to get your ass kicked again?” Raihan chuckled. “That’s a great plan.”

“Says the same person that happens to seek me out every year just to get wiped across the floor every year at the finals,” Leon growled.

Raihan exhaled sharply. He wasn’t anywhere near getting his point across if it was just going to keep ending up like this. He finally gave up, crossing his arms and leaning back against the ledge.

“I’ll beat you one of these days,” he vowed, then fell silent for the remainder of the conversation.

“I’ve got to stay and clean up after the mess I left behind,” Leon announced. “Sorry, little bro.”

“That’s fine. I kinda figured that you’d run off one of these days on an errand.”

“I can still come,” Eliana said.

Hop smiled at her, happy to have at least some company on the trip. “What about you, Raihan?”

The gym leader merely grunted, which wasn’t exactly all that helpful. Leon translated for them. “He’s got things to do, too. A couple gym challengers actually made it past Piers just recently. He’ll be challenged in no time.”

Raihan still remained silent, not even reacting. Leon smiled slyly, an idea suddenly hatching in his mind.

“I’m sure I can find some open time in my schedule to sit down and have a nice dinner tonight,” he said, earning a sudden flick of Raihan’s gaze, but nothing more. “Just you and me, enjoying time just to ourselves. You never know; I might be happy enough to—”

“Shut up!” Raihan’s face flushed, scoffing at the Champion. “Stop trying to suck up,” he mumbled, but Leon’s words were clearly taking effect. Any angry expression he tried to show lost its purpose thanks to his flustered state. It was usually him that flirted, not Leon. It was certainly unexpected, _but it was working_.

“Suck up, Weather Boy. That’s no attitude to show in those selfies of yours.”

“Don’t call me that,” he hissed, face growing even redder.

Through their bickering, Hop and Eliana had already begun walking away. They had found it useless to even try to converse with them now, so they might as well be productive. Soon Hammerlocke was behind them as they stepped into Route 8. When they were far enough along the path, Eliana decided to break the award silence between them.

“Is there any other reason you want to see Bede again?” she asked slowly. She wasn’t prying for information. She was just genuinely curious.

Hop shrugged. “Nothing out of the ordinary,” he replied. Though his voice carried a hint of something that made Eliana instantly know that this was a lie.

“Are you sure?”

The younger looked away guiltily, avoiding eye contact. “Nope. Nothing at all,” he said quickly. A bit too quickly.

Eliana had a hunch that she knew exactly what Hop was really planning, but she brushed it off. She didn’t want to seem like she was the kind of person to force answers out of someone. Though she did in fact want answers, she was more patient than others.

Suddenly Hop stopped, an enthusiastic grin spread across his face. “There they are,” he cheered, pointing to the crumbled stone walls that lied in the rocky desert plans. “The ruins!”

Indeed, the city of old stretched out far out into the horizon. In the distance, the snowy hills of Circhester could be seen. This drastic change in weather (warm air to catching heat and finally to a blistering cold) was quite shocking, but the world of pokémon never failed to disappoint. Anything could be possible when these fascinating creatures continued to roam the land.

While Hop was excited to see a new area and meet its pokémon, Eliana was more curious about the ruin’s history. It had obviously been abandoned a long time ago, maybe even centuries ago, and nearly all of its contents stripped to the bone — or in this case, stone — with no hopes of uncovering any bits of history. But something historic happened here. She just knew it. Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the Darkest Day all those years ago. Yes, these ruins did seem to be three thousand years old at the most.

 _Later,_ she told herself. _For now, focus on the challenge._

The trek through Route 8 was a difficult one. Especially since a sandstorm had whipped up halfway during their journey, obscuring their view to only a few feet in front of them. Of course, Hop tripped on a stone and fell on top on a traveling Falinks. It squealed in terror the same time Hop did, barreling away into a small hole in a rocky outcropping. Luckily the pokémon was too scared to attack.

Eliana helped Hop back to his feet, trying to see through the sand that was hurled past. “You alright?”

“Fine,” he replied. “Just really, really hot.”

The temperature had increased tremendously over time from the mild summer weather in Hammerlocke. Now it had to have been over 90º Fahrenheit, and the winds didn’t even bring any comfort. If anything, it just brought hotter air. It didn’t help when Hop still hadn’t bothered to take off his jacket.

“You’ll give yourself heatstroke,” Eliana fretted. “Take that off.”

Hop still refused, his excuse being, “The sand hurts.” Exasperated, Eliana sighed and dropped the topic.

The two continued to trudge their way through the route, taking shelter from the wind when they could. If only they had a pokémon that could alter the weather. For the first time in a while, Eliana started to wish that Raihan was here. Maybe he would have some pointers to survive his favorite weather phenomenon of all time.

“It’s letting up a little,” Hop suddenly stated.

The sand had in fact died down a little after a while, and it was actually possible to see farther than before. But alas, since Steamdrift Way was so close, the sand receded to snow. From desert heat to arctic winds, this was probably the easiest way to catch a bad sickness. The human body just wasn’t built for this kind of drastic temperature change.

But then again, it wasn’t much of a snowstorm. It was more of a very slow and light snowfall, with no bad side effects except for some flakes being caught in their hair. Eliana would have just bypassed the small snowy path like it was any other, that is until she saw what could have been the most adorable thing she had ever seen in her entire life.

“Oh my ever-loving Arceus, what is _that_?” she cried, kneeling down in the snow to take a closer look at the tiny creature.

Hop arched a brow. “A Snom? What’s so special about that?”

Eliana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “What do you mean, ‘what’s so special’? It’s so adorable and tiny!”

“And weak and has no defense,” Hop argued. “Hardly anything I’d ever use in battle.”

She ignored that, reaching out slowly with one hand to stroke the small worm-like creature. The Snom squeaked happily, leaning into her touch with no hesitation. Eliana could have died of adorableness right then and there. It was just so small and cute and _oh my gosh its eating snow._

That _was_ where it had gotten its name from. Snow and nom, mixed together creating Snom. Hop watched his friend with a confused expression. Sure, it was cute, but it wasn’t _that_ impressive. It was just a tiny white worm with ice for a shell. If anything, it just looked like something with a butt for a face.

And yet Eliana seemed completely entranced, even offering an oran berry to the small pokémon. The Snom nibbled on it instantly, its squeaks of happiness calling others of its kind to the meal. Elaina made an overjoyed noise, reaching for an empty pokéball from her bag. “Wanna come with me, little guy?”

“Seriously?’ Hop intruded, but his words were lost in her ears.

She just couldn’t resist. She was even happier when the Snom accepted, tapping the button on the pokéball and going inside in a flash of blue. The other Snoms cooed in amazement, then rushed up to Eliana as if begging to go with her, too.

“Don’t tell me you’re taking all of them,” Hop groaned. “Honestly, they’re worthless!”

“Sorry, guys. I’m full,” Eliana apologized, scratching one of the creatures under the chin. “I really would take all of you with me, because you’re all just so damn _cute_.”

Hop rolled his eyes, sitting on a nearby snow-dusted rock to wait. At this rate, they wouldn’t move an inch until the next century. If he knew anything, Snoms were always hungry and just _loved_ attention. There was a certain Snom that hung around the entry to the Circhester Station, begging unsuspecting passerby for food and comfort. As small as they were, their stomachs were like bottomless pits. That’s why they were constantly eating snow, and it was really the only thing they were useful for. People who owned them usually only kept them around as mini living snowblowers. They were quite useless for people that didn’t live in these snowy environments.

Luckily the snow was coming to a stop, so the weather wouldn’t be all that bad. Hop was even considering going on to find somewhere to stay for the night while Eliana slept with the Snoms. It honestly wouldn’t surprise him if that’s what ended up happening.

Every time Eliana went to move away, the Snoms rushed behind her (which wasn’t at all that fast) and tried to get her to stay. They even unintentionally tripped her sometimes, causing her to fall to the ground and get sat on by the dozens of small white worms. She giggled, trying to move them off.

 ** _You’re being too kind,_** Palkia scolded her.

 _Oh, stop being such a grump,_ Eliana replied as she set the fifth Snom back on the ground. Though every time she got rid of one, it seemed like two more were right behind it.

**_If you don’t get rid of them, I will!_ **

She didn’t know what that meant, but she didn’t exactly want to find out, either. But as she continued trying to remove the pitifully small creatures from her, Palkia had grown all too impatient. Without warning, he let out a very loud and very obvious roar of fury, causing the Snoms to squeal in terror and flee for the tall grass. Even Hop, who was falling asleep in the palm of his hand, nearly jumped out of his skin, falling backwards off the rock he was sitting on.

 ** _You’re welcome,_** Palkia snarled.

_Fuck you._

“What in the name of Arceus was _that_?” Hop breathed, perking up from behind the rock. His golden eyes were filled with fear, flicking frantically around the area for some giant pokémon that was sure to strip the meat from their bones.

Eliana panicked, trying to find a believable lie. “Uh, maybe it was just something really big?”

Hop disappeared behind the rock again. “Nope. We did great, we tried our best, let’s try again tomorrow!”

_Thanks a lot, you big loaf._

Palkia only churred in response.


	12. You're Just Like Your Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliana and Hop have a battle. Hop overworks his anxiety and ends up passing out in front of Piers. In The Pokémon center, Leon arrives to check on his brother and ends up in having a fight. To cheer himself up, Hop invites a special someone to spend some time with.

It had been a tough battle, but Hop had surprisingly beaten Gordie’s Gigantamax Coalossal with the skin of his nose. He had been forced to resort to Cinderace, who was luckily fast enough to land a super-effective fighting-type move on the large pokémon before it could do any damage. As great as his victory was, Hop was still disappointed in himself that he was so close to losing. To boost his confidence a little, Eliana invited him to a friendly dinner at a small restaurant before they left Circhester for Spikemuth.

The restaurant, Bob’s Your Uncle, had some pretty decent fries despite the other food being absolutely disgusting. Eliana almost choked on the sandwich she had ordered, her taste buds assaulted by the most ridiculously rotten-tasting thing she had ever eaten. Hop, on the other hand, was somehow stomaching all of his food, not even showing a reaction to the taste. The kid must have steel for a stomach.

In the middle of their third plate of fries, their conversation was interrupted when something caught Eliana’s eye. She stopped talking, staring at the old tapestry on the far wall. Something seemed familiar about it, but what, she couldn’t quite tell.

Hop followed her gaze curiously, recognizing it immediately. “That’s the same guys in the tapestries at Hammerlocke,” he observed, mouth full of fries.

Eliana’s head perked up at that. “There’s more?”

“Yeah. They tell some sort of story, but no one’s figured it out yet,” Hop answered. He swallowed before continuing. “Sonia skas it might be about the two princes that saved Galar from the Darkest Day.”

That didn’t make sense. It was Zacian and Zamazenta that saved Galar, not two humans. A while back she would have just nodded and moved on, but after her encounter with the real Sword and Shield, she couldn’t let it drop.

“But what do they got to do with it if the pokémon did all the work?”

Hop shrugged. “I’m not the expert.”

Before Eliana could say anything else, she remembered something that she should have never forgotten in the first place. Back when she had encountered Eternatus, hadn’t the dragon said something about two heroes? She thought he meant Zacian and Zamazenta at first, but now it was starting to make sense. Zamazenta had told her that they were only truly powerless without the heroes. Two humans were found carved right next to the pokémon behind the mural at Stow-on-Side. Were these two princes the real heroes of Galar?

She observed the tapestry more from where she sat, noticing that the princes had solemn expressions as if they were grieving for something. If this truly was a continuation from the ones at Hammerlocke, then why did they look so sad when they had just saved their region. Gazing closer, Eliana made out two stones behind them, one engraved with a sword and the other a shield. They almost looked like gravestones. Did Zacian and Zamazenta lose something after all?

“Well, I’m stuffed,” Hop announced. “I don’t think I can force myself to eat any more of this.”

Eliana shook herself out of her thoughtful trance, nodding and reaching for the bill. Luckily the horrible food was cheap.

“So, onwards to Route 9, then? I hope you have some kind of water transportation. It’s almost all water,” she said, getting to her feet.

Hop frowned, forgetting about that bit. Eliana laughed, patting him on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry about it. Maybe we can call a flying taxi.”

“I dunno. There’s supposed to be a huge snowstorm picking up soon, so they’ve closed their service until it passes.”

There goes that idea. Eliana brainstormed for a bit, trying to come up with a solution to their unexpected predicament. There were fishing spots nearby, but it would be a waste if they caught a pokémon just to swim them across the bay. If Hop knew about Palkia, teleportation could have been an option. None of their pokémon had weather-effecting abilities as far as they knew, so that was also out of the ballpark for them. If only they did have one, it would help everything. Maybe even if Leon or Raihan were here, it’d still be an option to fly.

“Guess we have no other option than to wait it out,” she finally decided. “There’s a hotel not too far away.”

“You go on ahead. I’m going to train before the weather gets too bad,” Hop replied.

 _Fair enough,_ Eliana said to herself. “Just don’t freeze to death out there, alright? Your brother would kill me if you lost your fingers to frostbite under my watch.”

“I’ve got Cinderace to keep me warm.”

She watched the younger Trainer leave, a bit suspicious about his true intentions as to why he wanted to be alone. Usually she’d let it slide, but there was a certain look in his eyes that got her on edge. She decided on asking him when he got back — at least, if he _did_ come back. It was getting pretty snowy out there. No, not snow. Hail. How convenient.

And so Eliana left the restaurant, making her way towards the hotel to check in. She thought she’d do a spot of exploring afterwards. After all, Circhester was an ancient, historic town with tons of interesting things. Maybe the library even had rare documents on the legends.

Spikemuth seemed particularly menacing even from a distance. Hop even shifted uneasily on his feet, a little hesitant to follow Eliana into the town. It had been at least a day before they saw any end to the snowstorm, and the poor boy was desperate for something to do after being confined to the hotel room for so long with hardly anything to keep him busy.

They had taken a flying taxi as soon as the transport lines opened, but now Hop wasn’t so enthusiastic for the next gym challenge. He’d heard some pretty harsh things about the stadium here in Spikemuth, and that was especially the case when it came to the gym leader. He hadn’t seen Piers in the Championship Entries, so he didn’t exactly know what to expect other than that he was a dark-type Trainer. That, and his sister was a challenger. Other than that, that was basically it.

“You alright?”

Eliana’s words snapped him out of his thoughts. “Fine,” he replied cheerfully, thought the tone was mostly forced.

The town looked… dark. While the sun was shining for the first time in a while, it seemed to practically shy away from the streets, casting it in dark shadows. No wonder this was the place where the dark-type gym was held. It was terrifying.

To add to his irrational fear, a Zigzagoon barreled out of the nearby tall grass, making him squeal in terror and leap into the air. Eliana really tried hard not to laugh.

“What’s got you so on edge? After you came back from training, you’ve been distracted,” she said.

Hop growled to himself, shooting a harsh glare at the Zigzagoon. He avoided Eliana’s question, because knowing her, she would never let him go off on his own again. He didn’t do anything bad, though. It was just something that some people would freak out over. But at least she would react better to it than Leon ever would.

He hoped that he could just move around the question, never to worry about it again. But his thoughts began wandering, and he nearly walked into Eliana because of it.

“Seriously, though. It seemed like a Cramorant swallowed your brain and flew off with it,” she hissed. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing’s wrong.” That was entirely the truth. If anything, he was distracted because he was so gosh darn happy. He unintentionally let out a lovestruck sigh, a goofy smile spreading across his face.

Eliana’s eyes widened. So _that’s_ what she was dealing with. “You’re in love, aren’t you?”

Hop choked on his own air at that, face heating up until he felt like it was on fire. “No!” he blurted, stuffing his hands into his pockets and lowering his head to avoid eye contact.

“ _Right_. And I don’t own a legendary.” She instantly shut her mouth when she realized what she had just said. _Shit._ Hop snapped his attention to her, suddenly forgetting about the whole thing.

“You _what_?”

“Um.” _Think think think think think._ This was not good. “Me and my big mouth,” she muttered to herself. “I’ll tell you if you tell me your secret.”

Hop felt like that was going to happen. He glared at her, but the opportunity to see a legendary was just too great to pass up.

“Fine,” he growled. “I’m in love.”

Eliana made a squeal of happiness. “Tell me all about them!” She almost said _her_ , but she didn’t want to jump to conclusions.

“He’s stubborn,” Hop began slowly.

“And? Arceus, give me _details_.”

“He’s not exactly someone people would like at first. But once you get to know him, he’s pretty nice.”

“And you met this guy when you were out training?”

“No. I’ve known him for a while now.”

“What’s his name?”

Hop paused. Not yet. He wasn’t ready to expose that yet. “I don’t want to say,” he finally sighed. He supposed that meant that he didn’t get to hear about her secret pet.

But Eliana seemed completely overjoyed. “Wait until Leon hears about this,” she laughed.

“No! He can’t know about it!” If Leon found out, he’d never hear the end of it.

Eliana shrugged. “Fine, but don’t expect me to not drop any hints.”

 _Me and_ my _big mouth,_ Hop thought bitterly. There goes the discreetness of his relationship.

“I suppose that means I’ll have to tell you my big secret,” Eliana said, voice dropping to a whisper. She took a pokéball from her bag, which looked like it had hardly ever been used. It was a premier ball, with some cool designs etched onto it with a reddish-pink marker or something. They were just lines, but two large gemstones were embedded on each side.

“A specially ordered pokéball for a very special pokémon,” Eliana said softly. She pointed to the stones. “Those are real pearls. The pink ones are usually really hard to come by.”

“Wow. It must have been pretty expensive.”

“Yeah. Half my life’s savings. But it was worth it. Go on, he won’t bite.”

She handed the ball to Hop, who held it lightly in the palm of his hand. There definitely was a powerful presence inside, anyone could tell that. The pearls were glowing softly, a very nice warmth wafting off of them.

“Can I let it out?”

Eliana frowned. “Not here. Maybe later.”

Disappointed, Hop handed it back to its rightful owner. He at least wanted to know which legendary it was. But Eliana _did_ say she’d show him later.

Later meaning at the very last minute, but that’s too much foreshadowing there, Author-chan.

“Does Lee know?” Hop asked. He really didn’t want to be the last to know of something like this.

“Yeah. Raihan, too. I was planning on showing you sometime, but that didn’t exactly go as planned. It was going to be a surprise,” Eliana explained.

After all of this, Hop had actually forgotten about his outing. He was much too immersed in trying to figure out what legendary was hidden in that pokéball to even care at this point. Maybe, just maybe, Eliana would let him battle it. But was he even strong enough to be considered a worthy opponent. A worm of uneasiness and doubt formed in his gut. All this thinking of being worthy had brought his mind back to the challenge. Was he even strong enough to fight his own brother?

Eliana watched his expression, becoming a little concerned. “Maybe a battle will cheer you up,” she offered. “Absol hasn’t had some exercise in a while.”

Hop perked up at that. “Sure!”

He’d rather face Absol than any of Eliana’s other pokémon at the moment. After all, she _was_ a Champion, and he didn’t want to get caught up in that weird mega evolution thing she used. He brought out his newly evolved Corviknight, hoping to get at least some sense of enthusiasm out of this. There wasn’t any type advantage here, so it was all just a game of luck and strengths.

As soon as Absol was released, her fur immediately began sparkling a blinding light in the sun. She shook herself out and fluffed her fur, taking a very offensive pose. Absol must be more of an attack-based pokémon, so defense was Hop’s best bet. Luckily Corviknight was a steel-type, which were naturally very defensive.

“Ready when you are,” Eliana said, giving Absol an encouraging nod. Though the disaster pokémon needed no encouragement, as she was already prepared to fight to the death if needed.

“Steel Wing!” Hop shouted, and Corviknight immediately shot forwards to attack.

The giant bird’s wings gleamed a bright silver, the feathers seemingly sharpening themselves just for the attack. Even though Absol quickly dodged it, Corviknight’s special ability to fling its own feathers at its opponent still caused at least some damage.

“Dark Pulse!” Eliana ordered.

Absol was surrounded in dark mist, and in no time enough energy was summoned in order to be flung at Corviknight with such intensity that the air itself pulsated with the aura. The bird shrieked, though it was hardly hurt. Its red eyes narrowed, a taunting grin on its beak as if to say, _tis but a scratch._

Hop told it to use Wing Attack while Absol was commanded to use Psycho Cut. Hop panicked a little, knowing that flying-types were particularly weak to psychic attacks. Corvisquire, lacking in speed, made up for it in hearty defense. So when the attack struck it, it merely shook itself out before slicing its wings down upon its target. The blow was enough to smack Absol into the dirt, causing the pokémon to have its wind knocked out of it for a coupled moments.

 _I’m winning,_ Hop thought happily. _Against a Champion!_

“Iron Head!”

Corviknight rammed into Absol with a head as hard and rough as the toughest titanium, Absol hardly having enough time to react. Though as she jumped aside, the giant bird just made a u-turn in its flight and barreled towards her yet again.

Eliana was honestly very impressed. For a kid who doubted himself almost every second of his life, he was actually pretty damn good. And she wasn’t even facing his strongest pokémon. If they had availability to a power spot, he would have surely Gigantamaxed Corviknight by now. Indeed, this bird was one of those rare specimens that took on a new form when dynamaxing. A lucky find, and a formidable opponent, at that.

Absol was defeated, and Corviknight made a triumphant roar that could have been heard all the way in Unova. Hop cheered, pumping a fist into the air.

Recalling Absol, Eliana walked up to shake his hand. “That was a very interesting battle. If it was a real Championship battle, though, you would be facing a lot more than Absol,” she congratulated.

“Thanks,” Hop said.

That was unexpected. “What for?”

“For bringing back my confidence. I think I’m ready to face Piers now.”

Eliana smiled. She reached out to ruffle up his hair, eliciting a laugh from the younger. “I bet you’ll do great.”

“Well, I certainly hope you’re not planning on going in Spikemuth anytime soon,” a voice said behind them.

Turning around, Hop recognized one of the challengers. He’d only seen her from a distance, but he had heard enough about her to know that this was Piers’ sister, Marnie. If he had seen Piers before, he would have seen the huge resemblance between them.

“Hey, Marnie,” Eliana greeted. “Why wouldn’t we be going in?”

Marnie rolled her eyes, giving a hopeless sigh. “My overenthusiastic _fans_ are trying to make sure no other challengers make it past my brother. To make sure I win, of course.” The inflection she put on the word _fans_ was clear that she wasn’t pleased with this.

“If they’re _your_ fans, why don’t you just ask them to leave?” Hop asked.

“Because they’re not my slaves to order around. Honestly, the only person they ever listen to is my brother, and even then they’re about as stubborn as a Gyarados in a wildfire,” Marnie hissed. She turned to Hop in particular, looking him over. “I’ve seen you before. You’re Leon’s brother, right?”

Hop lost his smile. There it was again; Being recognized only by being Leon’s brother. “Yeah,” he mumbled, looking to the ground with a glare.

“You’re a pretty good Trainer. After all, you’ve made it this far, haven’t you?”

“I guess,” Hop replied, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. He’d honestly expected to be bombarded with questions about Leon. This was new. Only one other challenger had said that he was a decent Trainer.

“I saw your battle, too,” Marnie added. “That was a great tactic, using your defense to your advantage. Most Trainers raise their pokémon for attack.”

“I raised him from a Rookidee. He was one of my first captures,” Hop replied.

Marnie nodded in approval. Now she set her attention on Eliana, tilting her head in curiosity. “I thought you weren’t in the gym challenge?”

“Oh, no, I’m just helping him,” Eliana blurted. “I couldn’t dream of going against the unbeatable Leon and his brilliant Charizard.”

The two laughed at her sarcasm. Leon was always putting emphasis that he was Galar’s reigning Unbeatable Champion, and almost always his ramblings consisted of how absolutely indestructible Charizard was. But that was only when he was around his fans, though. He was much different with his true friends. Though he didn’t mind slipping in a reminder whenever one of them mentioned their strengths (this was mostly the case with Raihan, which ultimately resulted in them bickering for the next hour over who was stronger).

“Well, since I think you’re worthy, I’ll show you another way into town without being bombarded by Team Yell,” Marnie said, crossing her arms proudly.

Hop smiled. He’d never been called worthy before. It was one of those words that he usually pictured being used with heroes in movies and stuff like that. Did he really compare with that?

“Come on; It’s already getting dark out,” Marnie called to them, beckoning for them to follow.

The sun was indeed setting in the sky, causing the pale blue to slowly transform into a palette of oranges and pinks and reds. It made Eliana miss Sinnoh a little, where she would climb an entire mountain just to see the sunset from the top. But maybe Galar’s sunsets could be just as beautiful.

The sun had completely receded into darkness by the time they were inside Spikemuth. From here, the stars were hardly visible due to the buildings being so tightly packed together. Eliana could only make out the Little Key in the sky, which was supposed to be a set of a much larger constellation called Klefki’s Treasure. It wasn’t really that visible in Sinnoh this time of year, but it was a major constellation here in Galar.

Another thing she noticed was how quiet the town was. No one was in the streets, which added an eerie feel to the place. It was no wonder that Hop had been hesitant before.

Marnie led the way, guiding them through the streets with ease. Having lived here her entire life, she knew this place like the back of her hand. She said it was normal for it to be so empty this time of day — or night — because of the usual riots or gatherings that were held further in the town.

Hop stuck close to Eliana, still unsure about this place. He didn’t really like the dark, but he wasn’t going to announce that out loud.

“The ghetto isn’t all that bad once you get used to it,” Marnie explained. “You learn to avoid certain areas and what time of day you pass through particular streets to avoid being killed the first hour you’re awake. Scary to look at, but it’s a way of life.”

Hop couldn’t imagine living here. He liked it just fine in Postwick, where it was always sunny and had wide, open skies where even at night the fields and valleys were illuminated by the moon. He was suddenly feeling very homesick, his current predicament making it even worse.

 _Don’t cry,_ he scolded himself. _Be strong, just like he told you to be. Don’t let him down._

He began to focus on things that made him happy. Stargazing in the Wild Area when he got the chance was one thing that ran through his mind. Another was the Wooloo at home, when they—

_No. Stop thinking about home. Something else._

Wooloo. Just Wooloo. Fluffy, bouncy, rolly Wooloo. Adorable Wooloo.

“The stadium’s not far from here,” Marnie suddenly said, snapping him out of his Wooloo-infested thoughts.

“Thanks,” Eliana said, her voice full of gratitude. “I don’t think we would have made it alone.”

Marnie shrugged. “It’s the least I can do to give myself at least _some_ competition. Seriously, Trainers these days hardly make it past the second challenge. It’s either that, or they’re disqualified.”

 _Like Bede was,_ Hop thought sadly. _Stop being sad. Think about Wooloo._

Eliana went to reply to that, but her voice was cut off by another’s.

“Yo, Marnie! Glad to see you made it!”

Marnie let out an agitated exhale. “Here we go again,” she muttered, then said with a more cheerful (and rather fake) tone, “Hey!”

The stadium didn’t look like a stadium at all. Hop cringed, not seeing anything that even came close to resembling a stadium. The gym challenge was held _here_? No wonder it had a bad reputation. It looked more like a place for a gathering of gang members, which was currently what it was being used for at the time.

“Your big bro’s in the middle of a performance,” someone at the entry said. “What do you need? These wankers botherin’ you or somethin’?”

“No. He’s here for the challenge,” Marine answered, gesturing to Hop.

_Oh Arceus they looked at me. This is how I die._

“Hey,” he greeted shyly, hardly making any eye contact.

The girl narrowed her eyes. “You’re _purposely_ putting Trainers in the challenge? That’s new.”

“It’s not like I’m endorsing him or anything,” Marnie snapped.

“Just sayin’,” the girl muttered, stepping aside. “But don’t get mad if the others take it worse. They’re not exactly that fond of people tryin’ to get in since you entered the championships.”

Marnie let Eliana and Hop go through first, though Hop was more than hesitant to do so. This place practically screamed danger and death.

While Hop was focused on trying not to catch anyone’s attention, Eliana was peering at something else. “I thought they said Piers was performing?” she asked carefully.

“Must be done already,” Marnie said simply. She forced a smile when Piers came up to them. “Been a while. How goes it?”

Piers, who looked half-asleep with a hangover, smiled back at her. “Nothin’ much. How about you?”

“Just transporting a challenger to their next gym.”

He looked at Hop, a thoughtful frown showing. He was obviously judging his strengths just by his appearance. Hop felt like he had grown smaller, wilting under the gym leader’s gaze. He hated people like that.

“Hop, isn’t it? Leon said you’d be comin’ along eventually,” Piers greeted.

 _At least he knows my name,_ Hop said to himself, trying to look on the bright side of things.

Piers looked to Eliana next. “What’s your name?”

“Eliana. Just tagging along,” she said. “I’m not challenging you or anything.”

Hop was hardly paying attention. While Piers definitely _seemed_ nice, he had no clue how tough he was in battle. He could be easily the strongest Trainer in Galar alongside his brother and Raihan. Dark-types. What was super-effective against that? Psychic? No, that was the other way around. It felt like his brain had turned to mush, not allowing any actual and complete thought to form. _Think about Wooloo think about Wooloo think about Wooloo. You aren’t a failure. Just do what he said to do. Breathe. You aren’t going to lose this._

_I’m going to lose this._

His knees began to quake.

_Stop it._

He felt lightheaded. His stomach gave a twinge.

_Don’t faint. You’re going to do fine._

“Hop? You doing okay?”

Who was that? That sounded like Eliana. But his vision was too blurry to tell. Yep. He was passing out. Perfect. Just perfect.

“Catch him!”

The world went black.

•••

“Make it _stop,_ ” Raihan whined, rolling over to his other side. “Too bright.”

“It’s you own damn fault you chose to sleep in until noon,” Leon reprimanded. He opened the blinds all the way, making Raihan groan in annoyance.

The gym leader cursed colorfully, throwing the blankets over his head and flipping his boyfriend off from under the covers. Was it really noon already? How late had they stayed up last night?

“Around four in the morning,” Leon answered.

Did he actually say that out loud? Arceus, he couldn’t think straight. He whimpered desperately, curling up and keeping a tough grip on the blankets as Leon tried to pull them off. He gave a hiss — yes, an actual hiss — and covered his face to protect himself from the sunlight.

“I think I’m melting.”

“I think you’re being a crybaby.”

Raihan moved his hand to glare at Leon with one eye. He muttered a quiet _fuck you_ and finally resorted to getting out of bed. The floor was too cold, so he hesitated in getting to his feet. He pulled his knees to his bare chest, still glaring daggers at the Champion through eyes like sapphire slits.

Leon ignored it, tossing Raihan’s gym uniform to him while he stuffed his face full of a doughnut he had grabbed from the cupboard in the kitchen.

“Do I _have_ to?” Raihan moaned desperately, but he pulled the shirt on over his head nonetheless.

“I can arrange for you to get fired, if that’s what you want.”

He snorted in contempt, reaching for his signature sweatshirt. He was usually always like this when he woke up, but not getting hardly a wink of sleep had made his attitude even worse. Growling incoherent complaints to himself, Raihan finally stood and made his way to Leon. The Champion had gone to look out the window while he waited, shouting in surprise when Raihan hugged him from behind.

“When’s the last time you showered? Your hair stinks.”

“When I woke up,” Leon replied sourly.

Raihan shrugged, burying his nose into the crook of Leon's neck. “You’re as hopeless as you are with directions when it comes to hygiene,” he teased.

Leon rolled his eyes, turning his head to look Raihan in the eye. “You’ve got some nerve, you know.”

“I had some nerve when I decide to date the Champion.”

“Touché.”

They stood there for a while, enjoying each other’s company. It wasn’t that often that they got to spend time together alone with how busy they usually were. This was just a rare occasion, and it only happened because Raihan had slaughtered his first challenger’s team so quickly that he had time to come home and goof off. “Goof off” as in showering Leon in much-needed attention that should probably go unheard of.

His home in Hammerlocke was anything but impressive, but it was enough for him to survive. Raihan honestly could do better with how much he was payed in his job, but he’d grown to like his drab surroundings. Leon never said anything about it, and that was good enough for him. Plus, he had a feeling that if he moved, Leon would forget and get lost in no time. This place was one of the rare places that Leon had memorized, so Raihan didn’t want to risk getting rid of that achievement. The funny thing was that Leon had memorized it long before they were even in any kind of relationship. Raihan laughed aloud at that, catching Leon’s attention.

“What?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. Just some old memories,” Raihan answered. He pressed a kiss to Leon’s forehead, stepping away to take the time to tie his bandana. “I suppose I’ve got to head out. The gym can’t take care of itself, you know.”

Leon pouted, giving Raihan the most convincing puppy-dog eyes he could muster. The other merely shook his head in playful defiance.

“See you later, love. Don’t be afraid to raid the kitchen,” he said, planting a quick kiss on Leon’s lips before leaving. Flygon, who was sleeping on the floor nearby, lazily lumbered after him. She paused before she went out the door, giving Leon a glare and a snarky flick of her tail.

Flygon was a bit jealous that Raihan’s attention wasn’t centered on her anymore now that Leon was in the picture. Because of this, she loathed Leon, and she did the best she could to ward him off. But if her Trainer was happy, she just had to deal with it to keep him that way.

Leon himself was planning on going out for a walk to clear his mind. Ever since the incident with the dynamaxed Liepard, he’d been more curious as to what was going on with his region. It was his duty as Champion to worry about this, so he wanted to return to the scene of the “crime” and attempt to make sense of it. That is, if he didn’t get lost on the way there. So far he’d assumed that some energy from the Hammerlocke Stadium had drained out into the streets or something. That was the closest power spot there was besides the Motostoke one.

It was too early for this shit.

He resorted to sitting down on Raihan’s bed, suddenly very tired from all this thinking. This was Sonia’s kind of thing, not his. He almost nodded off again until his phone buzzed in his pocket.

Pulling it out, he noticed a message from Eliana. And it was a long one. The first words Leon read when he skimmed it over were _Hop passed out._ He freaked out, deciding to read the entire thing.

_Hey. So uh, this is sudden, but something happened. I don’t know how, or why, but Hop passed out. We’re at the Spikemuth Pokémon Center right now, and he’s in bed rest for a couple more hours until he’s feeling himself again. In other words, if he doesn’t show up at Hammerlocke for Raihan’s challenge soon, you know why._

Oh great mother of Arceus. He left his brother alone for _two days_ and this happens. He instantly got to his feet, grabbing his hat before running out the door. Charizard blinked his eyes open at this, suddenly scrambling to his feet to chase after him.

Maybe he could get there in time. Leon silently prayed that Hop was alright, jumping on Charizard as soon as he was outside. Though as Charizard began to take off, the dragon paused, looking back at Leon with a _what the fuck_ expression. He was still half-asleep. He’d become used to Leon’s sudden bursts of energy, but this was worse than anything he’d ever dealt with before. Giving a swift shake of the head and stretching his wings, he took to the skies with a couple wingstrokes. Though he had no idea where he was supposed to be going, so he hovered in the air for a while, waiting for his orders.

“Spikemuth,” Leon said sternly. “No distractions. We need to get there _now._ ”

Charizard instantly took off in that direction, knowing it was serious when Leon spoke that way. Screw being tired. His Trainer had somewhere important to be.

Spikemuth was easy to spot, for it was the darkest possible place in all of Galar. Even the mines had at least some gleam to them because of their gemstones. Charizard swooped downwards at his notice of it, gaining more speed and hoping that something dire didn’t happen.

But something dire _did_ happen. Leon didn’t even wait for Charizard to completely land before practically leaping off the poor dragon and rushing inside the pokémon center. A couple people who are inside turned their heads his direction, a couple gasping because they didn’t expect the Champion to be in a place like this. A Linoone to the far right glared at him, backing up to its Trainer’s side. Leon didn’t even notice; He needed to make sure his brother was alive and well.

“Mr Leon,” Nurse Joy gasped. “How may I help—”

“My brother. Where is he?”

She blinked. She stared for a moment, trying to bring her thoughts together again. Then she cleared her throat, addressing the Champion again. “I believe he’s in the third room to the left,” she answered with a hint of confusion.

Leon quickly thanked her, quickly making his way to his destination. Just as he turned, though, he smacked right into someone.

“Oh, Arceus. I’m so sorry,” he spluttered, helping them back to their feet. “I’m just in a hurry.” He stopped when he saw who it was. “El?”

Eliana brushed herself off, making a breathless laugh. “Glad to see you,” she said plainly. “Hop just woke back up not too long ago. He was asking about you.”

“So he’s alright? Was he attacked? Oh, I knew a gym in this place was a bad idea.”

“He’s fine, Lee. Just a bit of an overreaction, that’s all.”

Leon let out a sigh of relief. But he caught himself, realizing what his friend had just said. That wasn’t like Hop. He never did things like that. Ever.

“Go talk to him,” Eliana whispered to him, patting him on the shoulder before heading outside.

He planned on that. Leon spun on his heel, rushing to the room where Hop was in. He hesitated, however, trying to figure out how to greet him. _Stay calm. Don’t freak him out,_ he told himself. And so he quietly opened the door, peeking inside and beamed when he saw that Hop was awake. His brother was sitting up in bed, chin rested in the palm of his hand with the most bored expression on earth. He definitely _seemed_ fine, especially if he was still as enthusiastic as ever to get going again.

“Hope I’m not too late.”

Hop straightened at Leon’s voice, his signature smile returning. “Lee!”

The Champion returned the smile, walking in and sitting at the foot of the bed. He studied the younger for a minute, trying to pinpoint anything wrong. Hop looked perfectly happy, mostly because his brother had cared enough to see him. But underneath those cheerful golden eyes was a gleam of sadness. Something bad must have happened, and it didn’t look like it was going to be easy to convince him that everything was going to be alright.

“I came as fast as I could,” Leon began. “Can’t let my brother have a panic attack without me there to comfort him.”

Nope. That was the wrong thing to say. Hop’s smile faltered, brow furrowing a little in what could have been anger or confusion. Leon internally cursed himself for being so dense.

So he tried a different approach. “Um. You got the Rock Badge, right? I bet you beat Gordie pretty easily.”

Now Hop was pissed. “I almost lost,” he hissed. “Maybe if you actually watched the matches, you’d know.”

“I was… busy,” Leon tried arguing, but he knew that any kind of retort would dig him a bigger grave to bury himself in. He had been busy. But not the kind of busy that he, as a Champion, should be. Busy, as in letting Raihan fuck him senseless until three in the morning.

“You’re always busy. It’s like you don’t even know I’m there,” Hop pressured.

Leon flinched. This was what Eliana had warned him about the last time Hop’s attitude went downhill. But this wasn’t suicidal. This was just downright pent-up anger and resentment and long-lasting hatred that Hop didn’t even know existed until just recently.

“Look, I’m sorry. I try, alright? I really do try to be there for you,” Leon reasoned.

Hop looked away, tears brimming in his eyes. He’d lost faith in Leon’s attempts to cheer him up lately, and this wasn’t helping his case.

“I’m a terrible brother. There. That’s what you wanted to hear, wasn’t it?”

Leon himself was starting to get a little peeved to the point where he couldn’t keep the anger out of his voice. Hop glared at him.

“What I _want_ doesn’t seem to matter to you,” he growled.

“It _does_ matter, dammit! You have no idea how many nights I go without sleeping because I worry about you!”

“If I’m such a burden, then why don’t you just forget about me overall?”

His heart felt like it had just been ripped out of his chest, ripped up into pieces, and then stomped on a thousand times. Leon opened and closed his mouth, wanting a hole to appear in the ground to swallow him up. This was to going as he had planned it to go.

Before he finally found the nerve to say something, there was a knock at the door.

“I leave you alone for five minutes and you’re already trying to tear each other to shreds,” Eliana sighed. “Leon, can I speak with him alone for a minute?”

He was more than happy to oblige, shooting to his feet and shouldering past Eliana with overwhelming bitterness. Hop watched him go, anger washing away to regret and sadness. Had he really just made his brother angry at him? That had never happened before.

Eliana took Leon’s place at the foot of his bed, hands held together in her lap. She exhaled slowly, looking Hop in the eye with a sympathetic half-smile.

“You need someone to comfort you,” she said. “Leon’s obviously not the right person for the job right now.”

Hop rolled his eyes, slumping down in the covers and looking at the ceiling with desperation. “Obviously.”

“Then call him over.”

He glanced at her in confusion. “Who, Leon? I just got him to leave,” he scoffed.

Eliana laughed. “No, I mean _him_.”

 _Oh._ That’s who she meant. Hop’s face heated up, and he hid himself under the covers all the way to hide from the world. No way. If _he_ came over, then they’d know who _he_ was. Leon would be even more pissed off and worried, and Eliana would probably feel like he was the stupidest person on the face of the planet.

“C’mon, you need _somebody_ ,” Eliana prompted. She nudged him softly in the side.

That was true. He did need someone to talk to that wasn’t older than him and could understand his pain. He peeked out from under the covers at his phone, which was situated on the side-table nearby. It was tempting. Very. Tempting.

Eliana could have made a cry of glee when he finally reached for it. She clamped her mouth shut, watching Hop sit back up and scroll through his contacts.

Hop looked up at her. “Do you mind?”

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry,” she stuttered, standing back up and leaving him alone in the room once again.

Hop waited a little while before he finally pressed the call button, waiting eagerly and impatiently for someone to pick up. The other line rung for quite a while before he got an answer.

_“The hell you want from me now?”_

“Nice to hear from you, too.”

The person on the other end scoffed. Arceus, it had been so long since he’d heard that voice (it was really only two days, but he was desperate enough to act like it had been a year).

“So what’s up?” Hop asked, relaxing a little.

_“The usual getting poked in the ribs with the end of an umbrella. How about you?”_

“Oh, just passing out in front of the Spikemuth gym leader. Nothing too drastic, really.”

There was a cough of surprise. _“You what?”_

Hop hesitated. “I know, it’s stupid,” he sighed.

_“No, it’s not. Where are you?”_

“You’re busy—”

_“Where are you?”_

There were definitely looks of confusion and disbelief when Bede walked into the pokémon center in Spikemuth only an hour later after Eliana had left Hop alone. Leon was the one to react the most, nearly spitting out the water he had just taken a swig of. While he was trying not to choke himself, Eliana was watching the young boy walk up to Nurse Joy to speak with her. She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, not quite expecting this. It was an assumption, sure, but one that had been at the complete foot of her list of possible boyfriends for Hop.

She had to stop Leon from following Bede into Hop’s room after the Champion had gained a steady stream of breaths again. “Let them talk,” she said sternly.

Leon tried arguing, but a harsh glare silenced him immediately. Eliana could almost imagine the gears in his brain coughing and sputtering to a stop in downright bewilderment. This was definitely not going to be something that could be easily explained.

Meanwhile, Hop was trying hard not to make himself look like a flustered mess when Bede barged in. He knew that he’d probably come, but not _that_ fast. So he supposed the secret was out. He could almost picture the look on Leon’s face right now.

“You trying to give me a bloody heart attack?” Bede snarled, shutting the door behind him. “You can’t just go and tell someone that you passed out and expect them to be all fine and nonchalant about it!”

Hop almost wilted in pure lovestruck fear. “Hi?” He was also subconsciously trying to figure out if he knew what _nonchalant_ meant at the same time.

“Do you have any idea how much Opal pressed me for information when I got that call? It was even worse when I tried to explain to her that I had to leave,” Bede continued.

His rantings were perfectly normal. Hop knew that now, so it wasn’t downgrading like it had been before. In fact, this was Bede’s weird way of saying _I care about you so shut the fuck up._

The fair-type gym leader in training stood over Hop, which was his attempt at trying to be intimidating. It would have been terrifying a couple weeks ago, but now… Now it was just downright adorable.

“The fuck you blushing at?”

Hop snapped himself out of his thoughts at that, trying to make himself at least somewhat composed. If anything, it made his blush worsen.

“You’re just like your brother, you know?” Bede sighed. “Gawking after their rival like they’re the most heavenly thing they’ve come across.”

“Maybe it’s because you _are_ heavenly.” Hop instantly shut his mouth at that remark, burrowing himself in the covers to hide his obvious red-as-a-Cherrubi face. _Why did I say that? He’s probably staring at me now._ He glanced at Bede. _Yep. He’s staring at me._

“You’re lucky I like you,” he said grumpily. “Because if I didn’t, I’d have slapped you all the way to Unova for that.”

“Yay,” Hop cheered sarcastically, voice muffled by the sheets.

A moment of awkward silence passed, Hop still hiding while bede shifted uneasily on his feet. They both knew that Leon and Eliana were probably right outside the door, ears pressed against it to hear everything. But unlike Hop, Bede didn’t give a heap of Mudsdale shit about whether they were discreet or not.

“Get out here already and kiss me,” he demanded. There was a cry of surprise from behind the door, proving their suspicions.

Hop raised his head from under his hiding spot, a fake glare on his face. “And if I don’t?” he challenged. He was suddenly feeling pretty damn brave.

“That threat about slapping you to Unova would become your reality.”

Hop laughed into his pillow. Finally he sat up, standing for long enough to kiss Bede passionately for a couple moments. Afterwards, he sat back down a flustered mess while Bede only had a little bit of crimson dusted on his cheeks.

“They’re definitely making out,” whispered a voice from behind the door. This was replied with another worried and surprised incoherent noise from the other.

Bede flashed a rare grin, making Hop’s flustered state even worse. “Is that enough confidence boosting for the next gym?” he asked slyly. “Because I can do a lot more than that.”

Another startled noise from behind the door made the two boys laugh.

“Thanks,” Hop replied, “but I’m good.”

Bede shrugged, turning to walk out. He paused, turning his head a little to address Hop a final time. “I liked that.” And then he opened the door.

Both Leon and Eliana were indeed behind it. Leon was practically having a seizure while Eliana was just staring at him with the most smug grin on her face that she had ever made. Leon gaped at Bede as he walked away, breathing more incoherent babbling while pointing at him. He then looked at Hop, coming to the point where Eliana had to catch him before he fainted.

Bede’s words echoed in Hop’s head. _You’re just like your brother._ Maybe he was. In some ways more than others, but they were indeed very alike.

Hop smiled, laying back down to rest peacefully. Did he have enough confidence to beat Piers? Hell, he had enough confidence to stand up to Arceus himself at this point.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, some Hop x Bede. Yes this is perfect don't judge me pls


	13. Just When Everything Goes Brilliantly...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Semifinals arrive, which means a visit to Wyndon. Visions of Eternatus plague Raihan and Eliana, but they decide to hold off on contemplating about them until the Championship Cup has passed -- that is, if Eternatus will wait for that. During the Semifinals, Hop successfully makes it through. Later, Leon mysteriously disappears, his last location known to be Rose Tower.

Wyndon. The capital city of Galar, and easily the largest. So large, that it had a system of monorails to transport people through the city. It was a place of excitement and adventure.

It was a place that Leon could get lost in in only a matter of minutes.

“Which way were we going again?”

“Of for the love of—”

“You’ve _got_ to be joking.”

Leon shrugged helplessly, stopping to look at the map of the city again. Did they take a left or right at the last junction? What’s worse was that his phone was dying, so the map wouldn’t last long.

“How can you miss a big-ass stadium in a city like this?” Eliana growled. “Rose Tower is literally right there, so we obviously take a right!”

“We should have taken a right two blocks ago,” Raihan muttered, looking at his own phone for some kind of help.

Hop was silent for once, not bothering to get caught in the argument. He’d only been here once before, when he’d seen one of his brother’s matches in person. But that was years ago; there was no way he could remember the way there now. But Eliana had a point — Rose Tower was the heart of the city, and the stadium was a ways to the southeast from there.

“We should ask for directions,” he suggested carefully.

“We wouldn’t _need_ to ask for directions if _someone_ didn’t trust Leon with leading the way,” Eliana hissed at Raihan.

“He’s been here a thousand times. He practically lives here,” he argued.

“You know I’m hopeless with directions,” Leon butted in. He didn’t even seem to notice that he had just insulted himself.

Charizard and Hop exchanged bored glances. They were agreeing on something for once. And that agreement was that they both knew that they should have been at the stadium hours ago if it weren’t for Leon. He was half-determined to up and leave to find it himself. At least he hadn’t inherited is brother’s idiotic ways of finding his way around places. Oh, Leon would get to his destination eventually. In a couple years, maybe.

It had been five days since Hop had beaten Piers and obtained the Dark Badge. Only a day later he had thrown Raihan’s pokémon into the dirt for the final badge. He knew he was ready for the semifinals, and he was ready to lose if he had to. If it wasn’t meant to be, then it wouldn’t be. Besides, there was always next year. The sad bit about it was that Bede wouldn’t be in the semifinals at all now that he had been disqualified. Even if he’d been training as the next fairy-type gym leader, he probably wouldn’t show up as a challenger again until he had finished his training. That had been made perfectly clear the last time they had spoke to each other. But Hop still kept his head held high, knowing that if he ever did become Champion, he’d have a formidable rival in the future.

Speaking of Bede, Leon had been very, _very_ consistent when asking his brother every detail about their relationship. He’d fret over if he’d hurt Hop in any way o forced him into anything that he didn’t want to do. Hop answered every question with complete honesty, and even though every answer proved that Bede wasn’t as bad as everyone thought, Leon was still very protective over the whole thing. And that was expected of a big brother. Though Hop did secretly wish Leon would stick a sock in it and move on.

The semifinals were due to start tonight, and it seemed like the whole of Galar had gathered in Wyndon to see if Leon’s brother would see it through. A lot of Trainers had been endorsed by some pretty important people, namely Marnie by Piers and Bede by Chairman Rose, which made the competition more exciting and heated than it had been since Leon had been in the challenge himself. Usually any Trainers that were in the gym challenge were endorsed only by small business owners in hopes of earning a good profit if they were to become Champion, though none of them had been proven worthy so far, some not even making it halfway through the challenge. If they even did make it all the way to the finals, Raihan would demolish their hopes and dreams so that he would challenge Leon again as a sort of tradition. It was always Raihan that came out on top, but even he still can’t beat Leon to this day.

 _If Raihan can’t beat him, can I?_ Hop asked himself. He shook that doubtful thought away, replacing it with a confident one just as he had been told to do. _I just did beat him. And pretty easily, too._

_But he changed his team. I don’t know what he has now. I could get absolutely slaughtered in front of millions — no, billions — of people watching._

He suddenly froze, petrified to the spot. He hadn’t thought of that until now. It was a terrifying thought to have. The Champion’s own brother losing before even facing off for the throne would be disgraceful to his family name. He’d show that he was as weak as everyone thought he was.

 _Oh, Arceus. If you’re there, please, please,_ please _let me have this one,_ he prayed.

“Hop?”

Leon’s call made him jump. The other three were already heading back the way they came, and Hop had almost been left behind.

“Coming,” he replied weakly, forcing himself to move.

 _You won’t lose. You_ can’t _lose. You’re not weak. Breathe. Breathe, and it’ll all be okay. Not everything is as bad as it seems._

Leon hung back until Hop had caught up, though as he went to talk to his brother, he had shouldered past him with a harsh gaze locked to the ground for no apparent reason. Leon blinked, wondering what had changed his mood so quickly. Shrugging it off, he followed, hoping they’d make it to the stadium in time.

Raihan had taken the lead this time, occasionally shooting disappointed glares at Leon for getting them lost. Trust in the group of friends was breaking apart, and they could all feel it. It was a dangerous time for it to happen, for Eternatus could strike any time.

None of them thought about it more than Eliana did, for she’d been having constant nightmares of the creature for a week now. She didn’t say anything about it because she didn’t want to stir up a panic, but it had grown to the point where she was hardly catching even a wink of sleep anymore. She was even seeing Eternatus while she was wide awake, in unexpected intervals while she was doing something completely off-topic from it. It would appear to her in a red haze, growling threatening words or even roaring at her randomly. The others had grown a little wary of her sudden space-outs and jumpiness, but kept their thoughts to themselves. Leon had ignored it mostly because it wasn’t his problem. Hop just assumed that it was just something that had come from encountering Zacian and Zamazenta. Raihan was the only one that shared her pain.

He had also been seeing Eternatus, though it was much worse for him because it was like he could almost feel it right in front of him. Not just in his mind, but physically. This was because of the Dragon Aura that he could so easily sense. His nightmares of Eternatus were far worse, sometimes resulting in him having cold sweats or screaming in his sleep. Since he always shared a tent or room with Leon, it had made the Champion quite uneasy about his boyfriend’s wellbeing. Raihan had told him that it was only night terrors, but now with these daytime visions, it was hard to refrain from the truth.

Even as we speak, both Eliana and Raihan had a shared vision of Eternatus hovering over the city. Raihan tried his best to ignore it, though it was hard due to the fuzzy red outline at the edge of his vision. Eliana on the other hand had stopped walking completely, staring at Eternatus’ form with such a terrified expression that even Hop had slowed to stare at the sky to try and see what she was seeing.

The vision ended, though they were getting closer together and longer in time span. At this point, the other two who were oblivious to the situation had grown to be quite concerned when both Eliana and Raihan screamed in unison. Unbeknownst to them, the two had just caught sight of Eternatus charging for them at full speed.

Forget the stadium. Forget the semifinals. Eternatus was obviously very close to breaking the boundaries between his dimension and theirs.

It was Leon who spoke up first. “What’s going on? You’re as jumpy as a Vulpix,” he said.

Eliana shuddered. She had sealed her eyes shut to prevent herself from having any more visions. Raihan was still persistent, though he had broken into a nervous sweat when he could feel Eternatus snake right past him. He could even _touch_ the foul beast because of the immense aura that wafted off of it. But when he tried (and by Arceus, it was more of an accident than on purpose), the amount of pure evil and power stored in its body was enough to send a jolt through him so powerful that he almost passed out.

“Hello?” Leon pressed. “Can you even hear me?”

Eliana was too terrified to move. Raihan nodded stiffly. “Fine,” he said, voice so quiet that it was almost imperceptible.

“You don’t look fine. You look like you’ve just run a mile with all that sweat.”

Was he really seating that bad? “I’m just hot,” Raihan growled, taking off his sweater reluctantly. His gym uniform was underneath, which was customary to wear during the time the semifinals rolled around.

“Rai, it’s thirty degrees. I thought dragons hated the cold.”

He was cold now that he had taken the sweater off. But he didn’t want to admit that if it meant that Eternatus’ awakening could still be kept secret. So he tried to quickly come up with another excuse. “I-it’s just because I’m nervous,” he blurted.

Leon cocked an eyebrow. Even Hop was startled at that. “Nervous? You’re usually so keen by now to get ready to kick my ass,” the Champion argued. “Are you finally realizing that you might not fight me next year for the role?”

 _Perfect._ “Yes.” This was the best possible excuse. It wouldn’t do any more than fluster Leon at the most. “It wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Leon did indeed blush madly and uncontrollably at that. “But that doesn’t explain El. She doesn’t look too hot.”

 _Shit_ Raihan had almost forgotten about her. Eliana was actually to the point where she was rocking on her feet, muttering incomprehensible ramblings to herself. They almost sounded like prayers that were used to have Arceus ward off evil spirits. Was she really that terrified of Eternatus?

“Is she sick?” Hop asked. Raihan had completely forgotten that he had no clue about Eternatus and the possibility of an old legend coming true.

Eliana finally snapped her eyes open. “ENOUGH!” she screamed at the air, making them jump and earning some very concerned glances by some passing tourists.

“We can’t just stand around and let this happen,” Eliana hissed. “Eternatus is literally right under our noses and no one’s doing jack shit about it!”

“He’s here?” Leon fretted.

“Eternatus?” Hop asked at the same time.

“We _can’t_ do anything about it,” Raihan said to her. “It’s out of our hands. Even the Sword and Shield told us that, so we should just forget it.”

Eliana seemed unconvinced. She transferred her gaze between the three and then to the red silhouette of Eternatus in the sky. She suddenly felt terrified not for herself, but for the safety of her friends. Taking a deep breath to regain her composure, she tried to address her concerns.

“You’re the only one besides me who is seeing all this,” she said to Raihan. “That _must_ mean something.”

“It’s only because we touched that Wishing Star.”

She went to argue again, but she knew that was a reasonable statement. She turned to look at Leon, frowning when she saw a disturbed expression on his face. Looking to Hop, she only saw confusion and fear. It suddenly dawned on her that she must look like she was talking out of her ass.

“Guys, I’m just scared,” she continued. “I can’t just stand by and let this happen.”

It was Leon who spoke this time since no one else did. “Let’s just get the Championships over with. Then we can worry about Eternatus.”

Eliana only nodded. She shot one final glance at Eternatus’ vast figure, then went to follow the others in the direction of Wyndon Stadium.

The Semifinals weren’t supposed to be that long. It was the Finals that included matches against every gym leader pitted against each other, along with the few challengers that had made it that far. Actually, only one challenger would be able to pass through to the Finals, and very rarely they got to even see the Champion before they were absolutely slaughtered by either Raihan or Leon’s Gigantamaxed Charizard.

In other words, Hop had a very slim chance of becoming Champion. He was in the locker room of the stadium at the moment, looking for the other challengers that had made it this far. He was sweating, his arms buzzing, and his ears began to ring. He knew this feeling too well that he had pinpointed the name of it immediately: Anxiety. He didn’t recognize anyone besides Marnie, and he tried assessing everyone by how they looked.

_That guy has a Butterfree. Probably Gigantamaxes, but it’s still weak. The girl over there has a Hawlucha. Holy shit, is that a Hydreigon?_

The said Hydreigon turned one of its three heads to glare at him. Its Trainer followed its gaze, scowling at him before haughtily walking away. A Fraxure and Druddigon followed him. Druddigons weren’t native to Galar, so this challenger must have come from a different region. They definitely _dressed_ like it.

“Don’t worry about him,” Marine said. She had met Hop at his side, scanning the room for some sort of challenge as well. “Peter’s from Unova, so he feels like he’s entitled to be better than everyone.”

“Unova, huh?” Hop replied, mostly to himself.

“Yeah. Rumor has it that Raihan himself endorsed him.”

“Explains the dragon-types.” If Raihan endorsed this guy, than he was probably decently strong. Raihan didn’t say anything about endorsing anyone. Hop suddenly panicked, wondering if he hadn’t been listening if Raihan did in fact mention it. What if he could have known beforehand? Oh, Arceus, the entirety of the Championship Cup could be lost now.

“Hey,” Marine said suddenly. She pointed to the bulletin board that was situated on the far wall. A referee had just put up the names for who would be going against who. “Looks like I’m up against the Butterfree.”

Hop didn’t dare look. But his curiosity got the best of him, and he instantly wished he had listened to his head for once. He was going against Peter for the first match.

“Oh no,” he breathed, beginning to quiver.

“Don’t go passing out on me, mate,” Marnie told him.

Hop tried to still himself, taking deep breaths. He didn’t have anything that could be super-effective against dragon-types, did he? Maybe a fairy-type could have given him some leverage, or even another dragon-type. Perhaps Eliana’s idea of catching a Snom wasn’t so bad. An ice-type could be really useful right now.

What if he wasn’t good enough? What if everyone was going easy on him just because Leon was his brother? Was he really as strong as everyone made him out to be so far?

“You look like you’ve just seen a ghost. You’re white as a Cursola,” Marnie commented.

Hop blinked, trying oh so desperately to calm himself. What should he do? What if he passed out again? What if he messed up and lost?

_What would Bede say?_

He’d probably tell him to suck up in the meanest way possible. Maybe something along the lines of _bloody hell, you’ve got to stop letting people walk all over you._ But for those who knew him, it was his special way of caring.

He was about to finally reply to Marnie, only to see that she had gone. And so did the Trainer with the Butterfree. They must have been called out to the pitch already. Hop exhaled slowly, taking a seat on one of the benches. His eyes glued to the screen situated above the tunnel to the center of the stadium, trying to make out the tactics of the dueling Trainers. He hadn’t seen Marnie in battle at all, nor had he seen any of the other challengers fight.

He nearly fainted when he saw that Marnie’s Grimmsnarl could Gigantamax. Good Arceus, it was a nightmare in its most terrifying form. If Marnie won this thing, and he went up against her, would his Cinderace really survive against that? Maybe he should put out his Corviknight in the end.

Type advantages. That’s all he had to rely on. Cinderace was capable of a fighting-type move or two, so it would prove very useful against Marnie’s team of dark-types. If he just followed these dynamics, victory would be his. But first he had to live through Peter’s dragon-types.

“You got a minute?”

Hop jumped at the voice of his brother. He turned to face Leon, who was casually leaning against the wall nearby. He was donning his conventional Champion uniform, cape and all. He looked like a toddler who had just chosen his own clothing for the first time in his life.

“Shouldn’t you be watching the match?” Hop questioned, trying to keep his voice from wavering.

Leon shrugged slightly, eyes flicking to the live feed on the screen. “I know who’s gonna win, anyways, so what’s the point?”

Indeed, Marnie had just absolutely demolished that one challenger’s Gigantamaxed Butterfree. That meant Hop would be going out in a few minutes for his own match.

“I gotta get ready,” Hop said dismissively, getting to his feet. He wasn’t in the mood for talking with anyone at the moment.

“Surely you have a second to talk?”

He clenched his fists at his side, forcing himself to calm down and breathe. “What?” he growled through gritted teeth.

Leon walked up to him, pulling him in for a quick hug. Hop protested, but he knew he couldn’t do anything against his older brother. When Leon let go, however, he almost wished it had lasted longer.

“Don’t flip out. You’ll do brilliantly. You’ve just got to trust yourself. Put your faith in your pokémon,” Leon said, doing the best he could to be optimistic.

Hop flashed a quick grin, which was the most he could offer as he had only a few seconds to get his ass out in that pitch and wait to be destroyed.

Leon watched him go, smile faltering to a sad frown. To be honest, he was betting on both sides. He had actually forgotten that Raihan had endorsed anyone, and a challenger that derived from Hammerlocke was always extremely powerful, mostly because they were trained under Raihan himself. But if he knew anything, this Peter would probably echo Raihan’s ever tactic in battle (excluding the taste in double battles, of course). That meant that Hop at least had a chance since he had already fought Raihan before.

The Champion couldn’t help but smirk at the noise the crowd made when Hop stepped out into the pitch. If he became Champion himself, he’d have quite the hefty amount of fans — maybe even more than Leon would ever have.

“Corviknight, use Wind Rage!”

“Salamence, Max Wyrmwind!”

Corviknight’s iron-like body easily deflected the attack, given the fact that dragon-type moves were weak to steel-types. Even Dynamaxed, Peter’s Salamence had quite terrible defense. Though its move still lowered Corviknight’s attack.

 _Just a little more,_ Hop told himself, trying to keep his composure. So far, he’d taken out Peter’s Fraxure, Druddigon, Hydreigon, and Dragonite. Despite being dragon-types and able to deflect fire-, water-, grass-, and electric-type moves, Hop’s Snorlax had taken out the bulk of them. Cramorant had been his backup when the Hydreigon took out Snorlax, but it didn’t last long. It was almost like Hydreigon had been specially trained to be the strongest of the bunch. A good tactic, and one that people hardly used; some Trainers had a particularly strong pokémon that they would defeat their opponent’s pokémon before bringing out a somewhat weaker one to finish them off. But Salamence was a pretty formidable pokémon, with high speed and attack, it always struck first.

All of these dragon-types reminded Hop of his battle with Raihan. He still had the gym leader’s smug fanged grin emblazoned on the front and center of his mind, the expression practically screaming, _you’re not good enough to fight him._ He could have been hallucinating (and he really was under all this stress), but instead of Peter, he was beginning to see Raihan.

In the best spot in the bleachers, Leon tensed beside Eliana and said gym leader. Hop’s expression had suddenly turned dark and angry. That wasn’t a good sign. What was worse was when his brother shot a glance up at where they were sitting, shooting daggers at Raihan in particular. There was enough venom in his glare to kill twenty Braviary mid-flight.

“Should I be scared of that?” Raihan whispered to Leon, teal eyes flashing with a hint of concern.

“I think he’s blaming you for his ass getting beat,” Eliana commented. She took a lazy sip from her oran berry smoothie that she had picked up in the lobby. Her eyes were intensely locked on the battle before them, gaze flicking between the dynamaxed Salamence and Hop’s Gigantamax Corviknight. She was obviously sizing them both up to see if they stood a chance against her own Championship match.

Raihan blinked at her, looking back at the battle. Leon followed his attention, slightly surprised to see that Hop had straightened his posture, shouting his commands a lot more intensely and determined than before. What on earth was going on in that kid’s head?

With a final Max Steelspike, the Salamence was defeated. The stadium erupted into cheers, and Leon and Eliana did their best to make their voices heard. Though Raihan remained seated, sinking back into his spot with a hint of defeat. There goes his endorsement, let alone the money he had put into it.

“Nora and Cailen are against each other next,” Eliana stated. She gestured to the bulletin of who was against who. “I’m thinking about going down there to check on Hop and grabbing a popcorn. You wanna come with?”

Leon shook his head. “I already talked to him.” The truth was that he didn’t know _what_ to say. Hop’s sudden change of attitude in battle had honestly scared him a little. He’d never seen his younger brother so… angry? He didn’t even know the word for the absolute mixture of fear, fury, determination, and bitterness in Hop’s gaze.

Eliana stood. “Smell ya later,” was her final reply before leaving.

“I thought that was only a saying in Kanto?” Raihan asked, arching a brow.

Leon let those words go in one ear and out the other. He watched as Hop crossed the pitch to shake Peter’s hand. Even then, he eyed the other challenger like he was the foulest thing he had ever seen.

“What in the bloody hell was that?” Eliana demanded. “Sure, you won, but did you really have to bite the poor kid’s head off without a good reason?”

Hop met her chocolate-brown eyes, which were brimming with curiosity and concern. “I _do_ have a good reason,” he replied sternly.

“Oh? Do you mind telling me what that is?”

He hesitated, turning to the mirror on one of the walls in the locker room to adjust his uniform. He could still feel Eliana staring at him, which was slightly intimidating. Sure, he’d faced the angry wrath of a Champion before, but his brother’s friend was much fiercer when she was pissed.

One option of an answer was _he was Raihan’s endorsed challenger and I hate him because of that._ Result? Being chewed to bits by her Garchomp

Second option: _I’m angry because Raihan’s dating my brother and I don’t have a say in it._ That would end up in him getting an earful and _then_ have him being eaten by Garchomp.

His third option? _Leon’s mad at me for dating Bede because he supposedly hates me. But he hated Raihan before all this shit happened._ His foul mouth and angry tone would turn him into Garchomp chow.

Overall, each option had him in between Garchomp’s teeth. Hop silently thanked Arceus that the dragon wasn’t out of its pokéball right now. He finally turned to face Eliana again, taking a deep breath. Eliana softened her gaze at his newfound somberness.

“You promise you won’t get mad?” Hop asked softly.

“I promise.”

“You’ll keep Garchomp in his ball?”

A confused blink, then, “Yeah.”

But that still left Luxray to toss him around like a ball of yarn. Or for Inteleon to use him as target practice. Absol was just angry in particular and probably would have him in shreds in no time. Lucario would have him out cold in one punch. _And she still has that legendary up her sleeve._ Even if it was just a simple mythical like Jirachi or something, it could still kill him in one simple look.

“Tell me what’s bugging you,” Eliana said. She had a special way of getting her tone just right so that it could pressure(?) anyone into answering her.

Hop sighed. “I don’t know. A lot of things are going on. I guess I just don’t feel like I’m going to make it,” he confided.

Eliana shook her head in a way that made her appear lost for answers. Was that disappointment in her eyes? _Not her, too._ She was like a sister to him. If he lost her, then who else would he have?

“Hop, what did I tell you about this? What did Lee tell you? Hell, what did _Bede_ say? You’re not a failure. Even if you don’t make it to Leon, there’s always next year. Just ask Raihan; he’s fought your brother for eight years in a row and still hasn’t caught up.”

“That’s just it!” Hop snapped. “Raihan acts like he’s _oh-so-powerful_ and that he’s the only one that Leon could ever consider being his rival. If he still hasn’t beat my brother, then how can I?”

A moment of silence passed. Eliana opened her mouth, then shut it. She did this a few more times before finding her voice again. “But you just massacred Raihan’s pokémon. You’ve made it farther than most challengers could ever dream of going,” she said confidently. Though Hop’s forlorn expression didn’t change. This wasn’t all that was on his mind, and it was quite obvious.

“I don’t know the first thing about being Galar’s Champion,” Eliana continued when Hop didn’t reply, “but I have a feeling that you’d be perfect for the role. Leon doesn’t shut up about that.”

“He won’t shut up about it because he’s just eager to follow Raihan around like a lost Yamper,” Hop snarled.

That took her by surprise. “What do you mean?”

“You know exactly what I mean! When Leon loses his place as Champion, he’ll have so much free time on his hands that he won’t know what to do with himself! What better way to spend that time than with his family? But _no,_ he’s just _got_ to be with Raihan every second of his damn life!”

Eliana flinched when Hop cursed. She’d never heard him say anything like that before. He had to be very, _very_ angry in order to do that. And angry he was.

Hop was fuming, though the tears in his eyes betrayed his sadness. He went to say more, but stopped when his eyes locked on something behind Eliana. She turned to see a bewildered Leon.

“How long have you—” she began, but Leon cut her off with a raised hand.

“Long enough,” he answered gruffly. “Hop. Come here.”

Hop looked at Eliana, anger replaced with fear. That was a tone Leon had never used with him. Eliana gave him a pitying frown as he moved to meet Leon.

“Walk with me,” Leon ordered.

“But the match—”

“The match can wait.” The Champion looked at Eliana. “Raihan’s declared a surprise battle with you. Keep the fans busy, will you?”

Eliana nodded curtly. “I’ve been waiting to kick his smug ass into the ground again.”

Leon began walking, and Hop hesitated before following at his heels. Eliana watched them go with uncertainty, then shrugged and went to walk out into the pitch. It was time to give Raihan a piece of her mind about all this.

_“Behold, Sinnoh’s beloved Champion!”_

It had been a while since Eliana had heard those cheers that revolved only around her. The last gym challenge that had been held in Sinnoh had only a few Trainers, and none of them had even made it past the Elite Four. The crowd’s roars fueled her hunger for battle like nothing else ever could.

_“Battling her in a surprise match while our last two challengers prepare is Raihan, the gym leader of Hammerlocke!”_

The cheers for Raihan weren’t as enthusiastic, but they still proved that he was just as beloved as he made himself out to be. He gave the stadium a couple waves, flashing a traditional pre-battle selfie before even considering reaching out to shake Eliana’s hand.

“Hope you’re prepared to lose,” he said smugly, grinning in a unique way that showed off his fangs in the most brilliant way possible.

“I hope you’re ready to wake up and smell the Roserades,” Eliana replied with the same low, challenging tone.

They separated, taking their respected spots on the opposite ends of the pitch. Eliana could practically feel her enthusiasm coursing through her veins, her fingers latching onto Luxray’s pokéball and waiting for the signal to start.

Hardly a half second after the whistle sounded, Luxray was out and in a battle stance, black mane fluffed and electricity flashing across his body. Raihan respectively sent out Sandaconda. Eliana let out a sharp exhale. Types definitely weren’t her advantage here. But she still had one: Speed. Luxray could run faster than a Rapidash when he wanted to, and a quick Charge could strengthen that ability.

So that’s what she told him to do. “Charge!”

Luxray was enveloped in a vat of yellow light, bolts of lightning striking the air and the battlefield below him. Raihan’s Sandaconda coiled around itself, storing some well-deserved strength to deflect any physical attack.

Luckily, Luxray wasn’t one for physical moves.

“Thunderbolt!”

“Earth Power!”

 _Straight to the super-effective hits,_ Eliana growled to herself. The blades of rock were already shooting from the ground, thoughLuxray weaved in between them easily, calling upon lighting from the skies above to penetrate Sandaconda’s defensive pose. While the electric-type move was useless, it still successfully paralyzed it. Now it was slower than ever, and it would hardly have a chance to react with any kind of attack.

Raihan glared from across the battlefield, which Eliana returned with a triumphant smirk.

“Swift, Luxray!” she ordered. It wasn’t that strong of a move, but given the fact that Sandaconda was already in a weak spot, it would do the trick.

Luxray roared, summoning what seemed like thousands of tiny glowing stars to cut through Sandaconda’s thick scales. Sharp and quick, they did exactly as they were planned to do. It was a one-hit knockout.

Raihan almost instantly recalled Sandaconda, taking no hesitation to bring out Gigalith. Had he changed his team at all like he said he would? Eliana panicked a little, but kept herself contained.

“Rock Blast!”

Damn. This attack struck Luxray before Eliana could react, showering the lion in hard and very large rocks, some on the verge of being classified as boulders. Luxray powered through, just barely, and gave himself a good shake. The friction of the movement caused his fur to spark, and despite knowing that a head-on collision with Gigalith would hurt him, Eliana told him to use a Volt Tackle to go down in glory. The rock-like beast growled as it was shoved back a couple inches. It held its ground, its laugh like ground up bricks when it watched Luxray faint after the impact.

Absol was next. While she wasn’t Eliana’s strongest pokémon, she still could put on a good show. This time there were no type advantages. Her battle against Hop the other day had unknowingly prepared for this to happen.

Absol had quickly taken out both Raihan’s Gigalith and Torkoal (oh hey, that’s new) quite easily, but it was his Goodra that had taken her down with a swift Dragon Tail. Raihan still had Flygon and Duraludon left, so Eliana took out Lucario for good measure. If he was defeated, then it was up to Inteleon to lead up to Garchomp’s grand exhibition. Raihan himself had a particularly conceited grin on his face when Absol went down.

Eliana was restraining from mega evolving Lucario, wanting to save her strength for Garchomp’s own mega evolution. She had to do something against Duraludon’s Gigantamax form. Still, Lucario was very quick with high special attack, and he kept good footing when handling some lightning-fast punches or uppercuts. His Bone Rush and Aura Sphere were her best bet.

Goodra went down, Flygon taking her place. The dragonfly looked anything but eager to be facing Eliana again, especially after her humiliating defeat against Garchomp a month ago.

Sudden realization came crashing down upon Eliana. Had it really been that long? Her own gym challenge should be starting soon. Maybe she couldn’t stick around for Hop’s match against Leon after all. But what if Eternatus struck while she was off demolishing challengers? What would she do then?

During her distracted state, Flygon had taken the advantage to land a critical blow on Lucario. The wolf growled, looking back at his Trainer with a displeased scowl.

“I’m trying,” Eliana said desperately. “Close Combat!”

Flygon easily dodged it. She took to the air, then dove right back down again to hit Lucario with Dragon Claw. Though being a steel-type, it wasn’t that effective. Lucario took a defensive stance, shooting a quick Aura Sphere to send Flygon falling from the sky. The blow had struck her from a decent height, the shock making her wings lock and lose all instincts of how to fly. She came crashing to the ground, with no hopes of getting back up to fight.

Now it was time for the main event. Eliana didn’t even wait for Raihan to call out Duraludon before she recalled Lucario to replace him with Garchomp. Raihan seemed to know exactly where this was going, not sparing a second before going to Gigantamax his star pokémon. The crowd went absolutely wild as he lobbed the now gargantuan pokéball over his shoulder, Duraludon reappearing tenfold his normal size, taking on an entirely new form. It gave an ear-shattering roar, red mist spreading throughout the sky and illuminating the stadium in crimson. Eliana tried not to let that remind her of Eternatus.

Pushing those dreadful thoughts aside, she brought her mega ring close to her heart, pressing two fingers to the key stone lodged inside. Veins of white light danced from it, latching onto Garchomp and triggering his mega evolution. Gaining a couple more inches in height and a lot more attack, the dragon swung its tail from side to side while it held its scythe-like arms together at his chest. The blades glowed an eerie ruby, and his yellow eyes reflected that shine.

Galar’s people hardly ever saw mega evolution in person. Only a few got to see it, let alone use it for themselves. They either had to have travelled to a region able to provide the power or have some very generous friends or family in said regions. The standing ovation the crowd gave the phenomenon as Garchomp launched forwards with newfound speed reflected that, and it made Eliana swell in pride.

While Garchomp seemed like a simple Durant compared to the massive Duraludon, he still could land some non-physical attacks to at least make a mark until the dynamax energy wore off to reveal the pokémon’s original form. A couple Dragon Breaths and a final quickly thought-out Agility ensured that he was hardly hit when Duraludon unleashed an unmerciful Max Steelspike. Soon enough, Raihan’s time of advantage was over when the energy wore off, sending Duraludon back to its measly five foot height. Its Trainer made an agitated growl, which nicely showed off those unique fangs of his.

(By now, Leon had returned to his spot in the bleachers and was practically having a nosebleed at his boyfriend’s perturbed and cross actions. It was hot; What else could he say?)

Now they both had the advantage. Garchomp trumped Duraludon in speed and attack, but Duraludon had very strong defense to make up for that. Both being dragon-types, either side could win at this point.

“Dual Chop, Garchomp, and don’t stop until it lets its guard down!”

The dragon shot away to oblige, scythes gleaming a beautiful rose-red as they gathered energy to attack with. Duraludon replied with a Breaking Swipe, which deflected the bulk of Garchomp’s attack. But it was soon knocked away, and Garchomp paused to hear his new request.

Eliana narrowed her eyes challengingly, absolutely adoring the shocked and irate expression on Raihan’s face. “Alright, Garchomp, use Hyper Beam!”

The blast that engulfed the stadium in response to the harsh blow was enough to send the trees in Postwick swaying. Now it was no wonder to Raihan (nor Leon) how she had remained Champion of Sinnoh so long. That Hyper Beam was absolutely brutal. Raihan had almost resorted to having Flygon use that, but then he had forgotten that he’d replaced the move with Sandstorm, the sand-loving ass he was.

“So,” Eliana said haughtily as Garchomp stomped forwards to stand menacingly over Raihan, “does that make me Leon’s rival, too?”

Raihan rolled his eyes. “First off, this thing’s practically the same height as I am, so intimidating me like that ain’t gonna work. Secondly, fuck you.”

Garchomp gave a warning hiss, snapping his jaws and taking a step back. Devolving, he shrunk back down a little, which didn’t exactly help his case. Raihan was taller than most people would be, so it was no wonder that the dragon had wanted to show off in that way.

“No hard feelings, mate. Race you to the bleachers?” Eliana questioned, recalling Garchomp before things got out of hand and Raihan actually resorted into getting into a fist fight with the poor thing. She studied the other’s expression before taking that as a yes. She shot away at the first chance she got, Raihan following at her heels.

“Are you sure he said this restaurant?”

Hop furrowed his brow, as if questioning himself. “Yeah. He should have been here an hour ago,” he said to Eliana.

The two, including Raihan, were situated in one of Wyndon’s many restaurants. They were waiting for Leon to arrive, though they had waited long enough to go ahead and eat their food before it got too cold to eat. It was fairly quiet, with Hop having his mind situated elsewhere and staring blankly at nothing, shyly picking at his food while Raihan scrolled through his social media that he had ignored for so long. Eliana decided to ask them if they had any idea where Leon was.

“Last I saw, he was heading for Rose Tower,” Raihan commented with his mouth full and eyes still locked on his phone’s screen. “Face looked pretty grim, if ya know what I mean.”

“At least he stuck around long enough to see you kick Marnie’s ass. Arceus, you were amazing out there!” Eliana praised, ruffing up Hop’s hair.

Hop swatted her hand away, though a playful smirk replaced his bitterness. “I could say the same for you. I haven’t seen Raihan get such a good beatdown in a long time.”

Raihan choked on his food, swallowing roughly before glowering at Hop. He muttered something nasty to himself and leaned back in his seat, arms crossed and all. He flashed a scowl at Eliana, teal eyes burning with anger.

_What a sore loser. Can’t handle getting beaten by a girl._

“I think I should go look for him,” Hop said as he stood from his spot. His voice offered no invitation to stop him, so Eliana and Raihan could only watch as he left to search for his brother.

“Ah, Lee’s probably wound up in a tree all the way in Kalos if I know him well enough,” Raihan stated. But he was already getting up as well. “But he’s my idiotic Champion, and I’m not missing out on dinner with him.”

Eliana trailed after them, wondering why she never got a say in anything anymore.

The three made their way to Rose Tower, which was easy despite it being so dark out. The lights from the immense building were guidance enough, even for someone like Leon. Eliana watched her breath condense into mist in front of her, suppressing a shiver. Of course she had to be the one with the thin leather jacket. She was almost desperate enough to ask for something else to keep her warm. She was eying Raihan’s hoodie in particular, as Hop’s jacket seemed much too small.

Wyndon was more beautiful at night, where the lights from buildings and street lamps illuminated everything in an eerie yet comforting glow. Though because of this, no stars found their home in the sky.

When they arrived at the building’s entrance, however, someone gave them all a glare with such intensity that it could have knocked them over.

“Mister Rose and Champion Leon will not be disturbed,” Oleana hissed. Her wild and desperate expression made her out to appear absolutely insane, and her crazy hair didn’t help at all.

This woman seemed so desperate that she would fight to the very end to get what she wanted. The Garbador at her side wasn’t at all that less intimidating. Fat and filling the air with the horrid stench of garbage and rubbish, the pokémon gave a low, gargling growl. Another pokémon revealed herself, appearing quite the opposite of her colleague. The Salazzle was quite curved and elegant compared to Garbador, her yellow eyes narrowed to slits as they scanned over her potential opponents.

“If you’re smart, you’ll stay here and wait until they are finished,” Oleana added harshly. Sweeping them all with a bitter glare, she turned on her heel and went through the glass doors and inside Rose Tower.

“Someone’s got a Maractus up her ass,” Raihan hissed under his breath.

“I’m not as smart as she thinks I am,” Eliana growled, gesturing for them to follow as she confidently stepped through the doors. It had been awhile since she had stormed a villain’s headquarters, and she was dying to sic her Garchomp on someone deserving — besides Raihan, of course.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Hop sighed.

 _No, I don’t,_ Eliana wanted to snap back. But she stopped herself. Where was the fun in knowing everything? She had some experience in this matter because of her run-ins with Team Galactic, but she loved the element of surprise. Every region had their villain posse, and it turned out that Macro Cosmos was Galar’s. Eliana almost laughed to herself. Galar’s own energy supplier and League headquarters were the same people intent on destroying their region.

And just like Galactic’s headquarters, there were plenty of people waiting for the three to challenge them. In no time, she sent out Lucario, which prompted Raihan to call out Goodra and for Hop to bring in Cinderace. If they wanted any kind of answers, they would have to fight for it.


	14. The Final Straw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hop and Oleana have an intense battle. Afterwards, he powers through the Finals in order to face Leon. Though their plans are interrupted when Rose accidentally releases the Darkest Day.

With a final Aura Sphere, the final pokémon was down. The Steelix gave a defeated — and very agitated — groan, falling to the floor of the elevator before its Trainer recalled it. The Stunfisk that had been battling beside it had also fainted thanks to Hop’s Cramorant. The Macro Cosmos employees gave startled yelps, dashing through the doors in which they had come from.

“Arceus, please let them be the last,” Raihan growled. He was fumbling with Flygon’s pokéball, still pissed that one of the enemy pokémon had taken her out.

They had been battling for what felt like hours in this wretched elevator, anxious to reach the top floor in hopes of finding Leon there. Even Hop, who had been enthusiastic to have a battle to let off some steam, was beginning to grow tired of it all.

“You guys don’t know the first thing about villains, do you?” Eliana chuckled. “They keep coming and don’t stop until their leader’s down. Even then, they divide off into segments of their own.”

“Galar’s been at peace for so long, though. We haven’t _had_ to deal with evil Trainers and their hordes of pokémon,” Hop retorted.

Raihan, however, was interested. “How do you know so much about this?” he questioned, arching a brow.

Eliana bit her tongue, regretting saying anything. She had wanted to keep those memories locked away for as long as possible. Even Palkia’s ball trembled in her bag, a little peeved at the question.

“I… had some trouble in Sinnoh,” she explained slowly. “Team Galactic and all that shit. You know how it is. Kanto and Team Rocket, Unova and Team Plasma. Then there was that uprising of Team Flare in Kalos…”

“Didn’t they almost destroy the world?”

“Yeah. Turns out bringing the God of Death out of its beauty sleep wasn’t exactly the best idea.” She chuckled, then her eyes snapped wide open as she suddenly realized something. “Kalos,” she said desperately. Raihan and Hop cocked a brow at her. “Kalos was at war three thousand years ago. Apparently life and death itself were neck and neck. I never thought about it, but now it makes so much sense…”

“What? What makes sense?” Raihan eyed her in curiosity and slight concern. Elaina’s eyes were glazed over in deep thought.

“The Darkest Day. Galar suffered the Darkest Day the same time. Three thousand years ago,” she explained. “They have to be connected!”

“Alright, I’m confused,” Hop interjected. “You guys are always going on about the Darkest Day. It’s just an old campfire horror story.” He paused at the knowing look on the two’s faces. “Right?”

“Later,” Eliana told him. She gestured for the exit of the elevator, situated right above them. The glass ceiling of the tower presented the night sky for them, a couple Rookidee nests situated on the smooth material. “Go get your brother.”

“I think not,” hissed a familiar voice.

It was Oleana. She was standing at the edge of the platform, arms crossed and a fowl glare contorting her features. A Froslass hovered elegantly at her side, taking the spot where the Garbador and Salazzle had been.

“The Champion must not be distracted,” she spat, baring her teeth in an almost feral way. “I _will_ do whatever it takes to ensure that.”

Hop stepped forwards bravely, throwing Dubwool’s pokéball into the air. In a flash of blue, the sheep-like pokémon appeared, battle ready and ready to fight to the very end.

Eliana stopped Raihan from bringing out a pokémon of his own. “Don’t. This is his battle.”

The Dragon Tamer frowned, but let his hand fall away from the pokéballs strapped to his belt (which had been concealed by his sweatshirt). His expression read, _If he ends up getting himself killed, I blame you._

 _Right back atcha,_ Eliana thought sourly.

She watched Hop take a battle stance, just as Oleana ordered her Froslass to confront them. While Dubwool’s normal-type attacks wouldn’t do much, she still had a couple tricks hidden under all that fluff. Namely a fighting-type move, which did twice the normal amount of damage to any ice-type. The only disadvantage about it was the fact that Froslass was also a ghost-type.

“Dubwool, Double Kick!” Hop shouted, and his beloved first pokémon charged forwards at her opponent.

Oleana growled, almost enough to be a snarl, then ordered Froslass to use Phantom Force. Eliana almost barked a laugh to herself. That move would do absolutely nothing because of the normal-type to ghost-type attack nullification. But Oleana’s plan soon became known when the pokémon didn’t return from the purple void she had disappeared from. Therefore, Dubwool didn’t get the chance to attack. Froslass suddenly shot up behind the sheep, using a swift and dagger-like Ice Shard.

Luckily Dubwool had formidable defense, which helped her power through the harsh blow to the ribs (or whatever body part was under that hoard of wool). She soon reciprocated, using an instinctive Cotton Guard to protect herself further. But it came to no avail when Froslass used Sheer Cold, and of course it had to have an accurate hit. A one-hit knockout, and Dubwool crumpled to her knees as she tried to hang in there. Hop frowned, recalling her before sending out Pincurchin.

No type advantages or anything this round. A Thunderbolt was issued, striking Froslass without warning. Still sparking with electricity, Hop took the advantage to order a Volt Tackle. With the excess energy, the move was packed with more voltage than before, and Froslass wasn’t fast enough to dodge the attack. Although she still powered through, but it was obvious that she was close to being defeated with the way the faltered her hovering.

“Shadow Claw,” Oleana hissed.

Pincurchin was nearly crushed into the floor with the blow, though its electrical energy was enough to shock Froslass at the contact. It was enough to send the ice-type falling to the ground, unconscious.

Seconds later, Salazzle took Froslass’ place. The lizard hissed, showing off two very long fangs that glistened in a liquid fire. Hop tensed, never having fought any of Oleana’s pokémon species in the past. He had no clue what move sets they could have, though he could at least try to get the type advantages right. He heard Eliana mutter something about fire-types to Raihan, so he took it as a hint to recall Pincurchin and send out Cramorant. Oleana watched closely, her angry glare faltering for a split second to reveal a little panic.

“Surf, Cramorant!” Hop ordered. He knew that Cramorant could pick up some very strange things when using this move, but it could ultimately be used as extra ammo to fight with. Sure enough, after the wave of water that washed over Salazzle disappeared, Cramorant had a very angry Arrokuda in his beak.

“Slash!”

Salazzle shot forwards with such extreme speed that Cramorant couldn’t even process what had happened before he was hit in the gut with sharpened talons. But it backfired, for the Arrokuda in his beak was hurled out. The fish latched its jaws onto the nearest thing it could find, which was the poor Salazzle. The lizard screeched in pain and surprise, clawing at the pokémon to pry it off. Though the Arrokuda still kept a strong vice-like grip, teeth burrowing through the salamander’s thick skin. The blood that was drawn wasn’t really blood at all, but rather more of that liquidated fire. It burned the Arrokuda’s mouth, therefore causing it to fall away and flop around helplessly on the ground.

In this time that Salazzle was distracted, Hop told Cramorant to use a full-powered Scald. It was insanely hot and pressurized, causing the Salazzle to faint without even having the chance of using a second move.

Hop’s next opponent was a Tsareena, and even though Cramorant was a water-type, its flying-type moves would surely prove very useful in this round. Little did he know that Cramorant had been poisoned by Salazzle’s physical contact.

“Ariel Ace!”

“Magical Leaf!”

Cramorant’s razor-sharp feathers sliced their way through the knife-like leaves, ultimately rushing through the flurry and landing a super-effective blow on the Tsareena. The grass-type squealed in agony, stumbling back a couple paces.

“Fool! Get him!” Oleana hollered. Tsareena shot her a withering and frightened frown.

 _What kind of Trainer disowns their own pokémon?_ Eliana wondered. This was pokémon abuse, almost as worse as torture. Downgrading your partner resulted in giving the poor creature mental problems such as PTSD, depression, or dysphoria. It was a sick thing to do, and it didn’t exactly surprise Eliana that Oleana was doing this.

The battle raged on, but it seemed to be that Oleana was winning when both Cramorant and Corviknight fainted. Cinderace had luckily knocked out Oleana’s large Milotic before it could use any water-type moves on him. So now it was just Cinderace and Garbador, standing off against each other.

“You’re an idiot to think you could make it past me,” Oleana jeered. Hop drew back at her words. “You’re weak. Just like your brother.”

“Leon isn’t weak! He’s the strongest Trainer in all of Galar!” Hop retorted. His golden eyes blazed with anger.

“And where would your beloved Champion be if the Chairman hadn’t endorsed him?”

He froze, mouth parting to give another argumentative statement, but no sound could come out. Tears threatened to fall. _Not this time,_ he told himself. _This time, you’re going to win, and nothing about my heritage or how strong I am is going to change that._

His confidence faltered just a little when Oleana recalled Garbador. He was confused at first, but then realized what was happening when the pokéball grew thrice its size. Rose Tower was its own power spot, which granted the ability of dynamaxing.

Garbador wasn’t just dynamaxed when he was sent back out, though; along with its massive size, the trash-like pokémon had also gained a new form.

_But if she can dynamax…_

“Cinderace, return!”

The rabbit complied, knowing where this was going. It would be the first time it would dynamax in its fully evolved form, and only it knew that it could achieve greater things than just increasing in size. Needless to say, Hop was astonished when Cinderace reappeared in a Gigantamaxed form.

“Malodor,” Oleana ordered, and almost instantly the battlefield was drenched in the most agonizingly foul odor. Cinderace hissed, squinting its eyes shut and putting a paw to its nose. Not only had it been distracted, it had been poisoned.

“Max Flare!”

Cinderace still powered through, the area around it flaring, hot embers and coals shooting from the massive fireball on which the rabbit stood. Garbador was bombarded with the spitfire, letting out a low groan of pain.

After a couple Max Knuckles and Max Oozes, it was clear who the winner was in the end. Garbador howled, shrinking to its normal size before fainting. Cinderace receded to its norma form as well, giving a triumphant battle cry before sharing a high-five with Hop.

Oleana growled in disappointment and anguish, clutching handfuls of her hair and baring her teeth in a definitive snarl. She had lost, and she didn’t like it one bit. “You little brat! Mr Rose and the Champion will not be inter—”

Hop shot past her mid-sentence, causing her to scoff in offense. Eliana and Raihan followed at his heels, making the Chairman’s partner cry out angrily.

Suddenly Hop stopped when he saw Leon, eyes narrowing in confusion to see his brother so calm and yet so pissed. Leon kept a strict poker face, but his eyes blazed with fury as Rose monologued.

“What’s wrong?” Eliana mused, placing a hand on Hop’s shoulder.

“I don’t know,” was his reply, and Eliana didn’t need to ask further.

Raihan was the one to gather the Champion’s attention. “Lee! Where the fuck have you been?” This earned him a harsh swat on the backside of his head from Eliana for his foul language.

Leon turned his head to look at them. A gleam of relief shone in his golden gaze. Rose followed his stare, frowning a little to see their visitors. He then turned back to Leon, muttering something incomprehensible from the distance they stood. Leon nodded curtly, then walked across the platform to greet his friends.

“Sorry,” he apologized. “I didn’t expect to stay for so long.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Eliana replied.

“Says you. I was actually looking forwards to dinner,” Raihan mumbled. Eliana shot a glare at him.

“You really went all this way to see me? I’m surprised you survived Oleana’s wrath.”

Hop shuddered. “Something’s wrong with her. I’ve never seen someone so angry.”

“And considering he’s dating Bede, that’s not an understatement,” Raihan stated.

“Oh, hush, you.”

“Bede only acts mean because he’s only trying to cover up his real feelings,” Hop recoiled. He instantly shut his mouth afterwards, eyes widening in panic. _I shouldn’t have said that._

“Whatever,” Eliana said, waving her hand dismissively. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t end up in Hoenn or something.”

“How nice of you to think of me and my terrible ability with directions,” Leon hissed back through gritted teeth.

He glanced back at Rose, who was watching him with a serious and intrigued manner. Leon muttered something about the Darkest Day and idiocy under his breath.

“Well, I’m starved. Wait for me at the hotel?” he offered, shooting a shy grin at the others.

“Yeah, whatever, but you’d better make up for it,” Raihan growled. He smiled flirtatiously, causing Leon to blush a little.

“There are _children_ ,” Eliana breathed, covering Hop’s ears for emphasis.

•••

“I can’t believe this,” Nessa growled to herself. She huffed an agitated breath at no one in particular, adjusting her hair a little.

Hop watched her, a little hesitant to start any kind of conversation at this point. He had been planning on asking about some strategies to use for Cramorant, but now he was terrified to say anything to the infuriated water-type gym leader.

Apparently she had just gotten her ass kicked by none other than Raihan. The other gym leaders chuckled and giggled at her outburst, as it was nothing new to the Championship Cup. Raihan was particularly known for wiping the floor with anyone he went up against.

“And the worst part was that it was with an _Earthquake_ ,” Nessa continued. Indeed, her prized Drednaw had been absolutely slaughtered by Raihan’s Flygon. She didn’t even have the chance to dynamax.

Now Hop was making his way to the pitch, for it was nearing his turn to fight. He didn’t know who he was up against as he didn’t pay any attention to the leaderboards, and it was mostly because he didn’t want to stress himself out over nothing.

But as he went to turn around, he froze at the suddenly hushed whispers and murmurs of the others in the locker room. He was a little scared to see who had just walked in.

“Wasn’t he disqualified?” Milo mumbled.

_Disqualified?_

“He’s the kid that Leon’s brother punched,” came Kabu’s quiet and stern voice.

But it couldn’t be. Not so early. Hop slowly turned to lock eyes with none other than Bede. The other Trainer crossed the room to meet his side, hardly glancing at him while he hung his coat on one of the hangers. He was wearing the conventional fairy-type uniform, which looked pretty cute on him. It was the most relaxed Hop had ever seen him.

“Hey,” Hop greeted casually.

Bede merely flicked his amethyst eyes in his direction, grunting in response. Hop could practically feel the curious and nosy stares of the other gym leaders and challengers in the back of his skull.

Bede was the one to react. “Stick your noses in someone else’s business for once, you ungrateful swines!”

Everyone immediately snapped their gazes away, trying to act casual. But that didn’t stop them from sneaking a couple looks at them here and there.

“Holy Mew, you’d think they’d learn the first time,” Bede sneered.

Hop did his best to stifle his giggles.

“You think that’s funny?”

He suddenly shut up, taken aback. “No,” he blurted. He was about to walk away in shame before he caught the amused smirk on Bede’s face. “You think _that’s_ funny?”

Bede chuckled softly. “Finally learning to stand up for yourself, eh?”

Hop didn’t know how to reply to that, so he just went back to adjusting his uniform to make sure everything was perfect before going back to walk into the pitch. He was a little surprised to see Bede following him.

“What are you—” he began, but Bede cut him off.

“You haven’t heard? We’re battling each other.”

No, he _hadn’t_ heard. He was actually hoping that he wouldn’t battle Bede at all and that Raihan would be his opponent, to be frank.

“Just sayin’, though,” he added, “you should have kept that Toxel.”

And he walked on. Hop gaped after him, astonished. True, Toxel would have proven a good opponent against Bede’s new fairy-types, but it had proven to be too hard to care for. Demanding and dangerous, Hop had asked Marnie to care for it instead. Rumor has it that Piers himself had taken it in, soon evolving it into a Toxtricity. But then again, three of Bede’s fairy-types were also psychic-types, so a poison-type wouldn’t last long nonetheless.

Long story short, the battle consisted of a lot of snappy comebacks and jeering to downgrade the other. Hop was used to this, however, though it still didn’t stop him from being flustered by Bede’s attempts at distracting him. The battle ended with both Hop’s Corviknight and Bede’s Hatterene Gigantamaxed, Corviknight landing a lucky super-effective blow. Though he felt bad for ruining Bede’s chances of getting a second chance to be Champion, he still was triumphant to know he had made it this far.

“You’ll pay for this,” Bede sighed as he shook Hop’s hand at the center of the pitch. Though his tone was harsh, he had a playful and rare grin.

“I’d like to see you try,” Hop countered with the same voice inflection.

Bede made a _hmph,_ rolling his eyes and stalking away. Hop couldn’t help but watch the way his hips swayed when he walked.

The next match had been against Allister, the ghost-type gym leader. Though he was young, he was still formidably strong, especially with that Gigantamax Gengar of his. Hop still managed to power through, his confidence a little shook as he watched Raihan slaughter another opponent. In the end, the two of them were destined to face each other. The winner would face Leon for the name of Champion.

Hop took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He knew that Raihan had changed his team, though his strategy would most likely still be focused on weather manipulation. He had heard Leon mention something about fire-types earlier, before the Finals began. Hop thought for a moment, trying to figure out if Cramorant was really the right pokémon to carry him through this. He still had to be mindful of the dragon-types in particular, as they were hardly affected by the common fire-, water-, grass-, and electric-type attacks. Even if Cramorant could take out whatever fire-type Raihan had, he still had to plan ahead for the others. Snorlax could probably handle the bulk of the team, but besides that, nothing else really could. Corviknight had no advantage or disadvantage — that is, if none of Raihan’s pokémon were dragon-fire-types. Hop’s greatest fear was Duraludon, who had nearly ruined his chances of winning the last time he went up against his brother’s boyfriend.

“You’re panicking again,” said a familiar voice behind him.

“I always panic,” Hop replied curtly, not wanting to discuss any issues.

“You’re pale. Does that make a difference?”

Hop turned abruptly to face Bede. He really didn’t want to deal with this right now. _Dragon-types,_ he recited in his head, going back to staring blankly at the wall. _Maybe Snorlax really will be a good option._

“I hope you know Raihan’s not gonna go easy on you this time,” Bede continued, not caring about Hop’s ignorant attitude. “Nothing’s going to stop him from facing Leon again.”

“You don’t think I know that?” Hop fumed. “If Raihan was going easy on me at the gym, then how bad am I going to lose this time?” He turned back around, fixing Bede with a lost and cross glare. “I’ll humiliate myself in front of millions.”

“Raihan mutilates anyone he comes across, so it wouldn’t be nothing new. Secondly, you’ve grown a whole lot stronger training while he’s been off gawking at the Champion. On one hand, you have a sure victory because of your strengths. On the other hand, you’re going to be massacred because Raihan has years more of experience. It’s a game of luck, Hop. It matters on who strikes first and how hard they hit.” Bede paused, searching for the right words. “You really are strong, you know? For someone who’s only been a Trainer for a month, you’ve come farther than most people ever dreamed of. I never thought I’d ever fall in love with someone like you, to be honest. There’s not much else I can say besides that.”

Hop smiled a little, cheeks heating up. This was the most heartfelt he had ever seen Bede act, so of course it was going to make his heart feel like it had just been melted with Incinerate.

“Thanks, love. Wish me luck,” he said softly, turning to leave one last time to face his worst nightmare. But he was stopped when bede put a hand on his shoulder. The fairy-type Trainer glanced around to see if anyone was looking. When he was sure that everyone was minding their own business, he planted a kiss on Hop’s lips.

“Kick his arse for me,” were his final words before Hop was called out to the pitch again.

“Duraludon, Max Steelspike!”

“Max Knuckle, Cinderace!”

The two attacks collided, making the entire stadium and perhaps most of Wyndon shudder in its wake. The two Gigantamaxed pokémon glowered at each other. Raihan and Hop were both down to their final star pokémon, and both of them had equal stats. It was just like Bede had said; It was a game of luck.

Cinderace, though, being as abnormally fast as he was, unleashed another Max Knuckle before Duraludon could attack again. Since the dragon-type was also a steel-type, it was super-effective.

From across the pitch, Raihan shot daggers at Hop. He really had shown no mercy so far, unleashing his full power before the battle had hardly even got started. His dragonesque side was showing, and he acted almost in a primal way when ordering his pokémon to attack.

Leon watched intently from the best spot in the bleachers, gaze switching from his brother to his boyfriend. This was the most he had ever seen Raihan so determined, but it was also the first time he had seen Hop so confident. The young Trainer was completely calm throughout the entire battle, ensuring his victory until now. It would take a whole lot more than confidence to burst through Raihan’s barrier of fury and tenacity.

The Champion was actually quite terrified to see whoever won and got to challenge him. Both of them would be really hard to beat at this point. Raihan had really upped his game this year. He nearly jumped out of his skin when Eliana nudged him in the side.

“Some competition, huh?” she said, gesturing to Raihan’s Duraludon. “Never seen anything that powerful — not even your Charizard.”

Leon shrugged. “Either way, I have a feeling my reign of Champion is going to end this year,” he replied.

“Seriously? You’re giving up already?”

“No! Like hell I am. I’ll still give it my all, but I think it’s finally time for someone else to take the crown.”

The stadium shook again with another attack. Hop’s Cinderace was blown back a little by Duraludon’s Wyrmwind, but the rabbit still clung to its last breaths in hopes of giving his Trainer the chance to win.

“You see that look in Raihan’s eyes?” Leon asked, nodding towards the gym leader.

“You mean the usual pissed off glare?” Eliana replied with a bored sigh.

“Yes, but no. There’s a hint of red at the edge of his pupils.”

Eliana squinted. “And you can see that how?”

“I dunno. I guess I’m just really observant. Anyways, I’ve never seen that. He must be really into it.”

As if on cue, the low rumble of thunder rolled through the forming storm clouds above the stadium. When Raihan commanded another attack, lightning flashed. It was almost like he was connected with the cyclone. But that was impossible. Right?

Before Leon could elaborate further, there was a low moan from Duraludon. It shrank, fainting to Cinderace’s signature Gigantamax move.

Raihan could have screamed right then and there. But he contained himself (somewhat), and recalled Duraludon. Turning back to Hop, he acted as casual as ever when placing both hands behind his head.

The conversation that was exchanged between the two wasn’t heard, but Leon could tell that Raihan’s words had inspired Hop greatly just by seeing the look on his brother’s face. Leon got to his feet.

“That’s my cue,” he announced. “Galar needs its King.”

Eliana rolled her eyes, giving him a playful shove to urge him on. While he left, the other Champion’s gaze shifted to the sky. Why were the clouds still red? Maybe it was just some leftover energy from the dynamaxed pokémon. But something in her gut told her that this wasn’t the case. Her attention was drawn to the west, where Rose Tower could be seen. There was something strange above it; It was like a huge amalgamation of storm clouds and red the color of blood. It was larger than the cyclone that dynamaxed pokémon summoned, so it was all but natural.

“Oh, Arceus save us.”

Minutes later, Leon and Hop were together in the pitch. It was the defining moment of Hop’s life. It may even bring Leon to brainstorming what he should do with his free time since he most likely wouldn’t be Champion after this fateful battle. But as soon as the two were about to bring out their first pokémon, the large bulletin screen at the end of the stadium cut to black. The cheering faded. Leon and Hop slowly turned to see what the commotion was. All was silent except for the distant rumble of thunder. A pin dropping could be heard.

When the screen came around again, none other than Rose appeared in place of the League’s animated mascot. He seemed distressed, like he _knew_ that he had just caused what could be the end of Galar.

“Leon, Hop,” he greeted. “So sorry to interrupt.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed.

“Now, I see that you promised me to help after the match, Champion, but you see, things didn’t exactly go as planned.”

Just then, the distant sound of shattered glass could be heard. A roar split the air. It was abnormal and alien, with an almost steel-like ting to it. Eliana froze from where she sat. On his way back to the bleachers, Raihan had also paused, a shiver reverberating through his spine.

“I’ve decided to bring the Darkest Day back to Galar in hopes of restoring the region’s power,” Rose continued. “But then our source of said power went awry. So, in other words, Galar needs your help.”

Without another word, the screen cut to static. Confused and scared murmurs rose from the crowd. Leon and Hop exchanged scared glances. Eliana tried to contain her terror. Raihan was trying hard not to faint with all the Dragon Aura that was being transmitted throughout the area.

Leon then set his eyes on Eliana, and the both knew instantly what they had to do. Eliana shot to her feet, not caring about the crowd that was around her. She threw a pokéball into the air, revealing Palkia. There were gasps and screams. Eliana could have swore she heard Hop say, “Holy _SHIT_!”

 ** _These are dire times, my child,_** the dragon said to his Trainer. **_I’m happy to assist you._**

Without another moment’s hesitation, Eliana leaped from her spot on the bleachers, Palkia catching her just barely as he went to land in the center of the pitch. Hop stood there, mouth agape and breathless. Leon ran over to Eliana.

“I’ll head to Rose Tower to contain the issue. You have to go to Hammerlocke to find Rose and find out what in the ever-loving fuck is going on,” he said sternly. He turned to Hop. “You’re going with her.”

Hop shook his head rapidly to regain his thoughts. “ _What,”_ he replied. It wasn’t a question, but it wasn’t exactly a statement, either. Things had just escalated so quickly and out of control that he was hardly comprehending what was before him. Palkia leaned down to give him a sniff, and he nearly fainted in response. Palkia churred.

 ** _I’ll take him,_** he answered.

“I’m coming with you.” Raihan had now approached them, hand meeting Leon’s. “We both made a promise to help each other in life or death situations.”

Leon said nothing, only nodding in understanding.

 ** _Hurry, young ones. Time is growing short._** Palkia crouched low to allow Eliana to hoist Hop (much to his confusion and embarrassment) onto the legendary’s back. She soon followed, sitting in front and placing her hands on Palkia’s smooth scales. Hop latched on to her instinctively for dear life.

“Ready?”

“NO!”

**_Off we go, then._ **

As Palkia lifted off swiftly (with Hop screaming like a little girl), Leon met Raihan’s gaze. “You don’t have to do this.”

“I know. I _want_ to do this,” Raihan replied. “I’m not letting you run off to save the world without me.”

And so the group split, one heading north while the other sped for the south. The red pillar of light was all Eliana needed to know that she was heading to Hammerlocke for sure. Oh, she was pissed. She had it up to here with Eternatus and all this shit. And now all the pieces — the book, the Wishing Star, and everything — fell together to give her an answer. Rose was going to get more than a swift kick in the ass for what he had done to ruin her vacation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only three more chapters to go... but I'm sure it won't be the end! I promise that there's a whole lot more in store for our beloved Raihan in the future.


	15. The Darkest Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eternatus awakens, and things go haywire. Rose is determined to stop them from ruining his "shining future", and the Sword and Shield are as elusive as ever.

By the time Palkia lighted down in front of the Hammerlocke Stadium, the storm clouds had grown worse. Much worse. Nearly half of Galar was encased in the energy-seeking cyclone, and there were already reports of randomly dynamaxed pokémon in several different areas.

Eliana helped Hop off of the legendary, giving him an encouraging nod before the two made a break for it. They entered the stadium’s lobby, but they ran into someone familiar before they got too far.

Hop nearly cried out in exasperation at the sight of Oleana. He was already going for Cramorant’s pokéball when Oleana held out her hands as a gesture to stop.

“Hang on!” she demanded, waiting until Hop reluctantly brought his hand away from his pokéball. “I’m not here to fight.”

“Then what _are_ you here for?” Eliana asked. She didn’t try to keep the resentment from her voice.

Oleana swallowed. Her eyes were wide in panic and fear, glancing behind her subconsciously. “Thing’s didn’t go according to plan,” she began slowly.

“Obviously,” Eliana hissed.

“What else is new?” Hop sighed.

“Oh, shove off, you ungrateful brat! I’m asking for your help!” Oleana paused, wondering if she was going the right thing when asking someone so young and insufferable to basically save the world from a literal god of destruction. “I just want Rose to be safe. He isn’t himself. He hasn’t been for the past year.”

She was truly scared. Anyone could see that. Hop and Eliana exchanged worried glances.

“With all this business about Wishing Stars and the Darkest Day, it’s taken over his personality. It’s like he’s been…” She paused, searching for the right word.

“Possessed,” Eliana finished for her.

“Precisely.”

So Eternatus was desperate enough to take over the mind of an innocent human being (well, innocent enough—). But why use Rose when there were so many people actually willing to do something like this? Was it because Rose was practically the face of the League? Someone powerful enough economically to convince people that what was happening was for the sake of Galar’s future?

“Where is he now?” Eliana asked.

Oleana furrowed her brow. “He’s in the power plant. But he’s not happy. He won’t be pleased that you’re trying to prevent the inevitable.”

“Apparently you don’t know me. I’m the Champion of Sinnoh, who happens to be the same girl that stopped the world from being consumed into darkness from the awakening of Giratina. I also, by the way, have the motherfucking God of Space at my side. And this one here—” she gestured to Hop “—is Leon’s brother. He’s the most wholesome and sweetest boy I have ever met. He’s also one of the strongest Trainers I’ve encountered. There is no way that the Chairman of all people is going to stop us.”

Hop smiled warmly at the praise. Oleana fixed him with a skeptical look, still a little unsure. Then she set her attention back on Eliana.

“Did you say God of Space?” she questioned.

“Palkia’s had enough of this shit, too.”

She merely shook her head in disbelief, stepping aside to let them by. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she breathed.

Minutes later, after taking the small elevator down, the two found themselves at the power plant. Eliana had no idea that all of this was down here, and how in the world it had all been concealed. She had an idea as to why that Liepard had dynamaxed not too long ago.

In the center of the chamber, there was a large spherical container. It had shattered, the glass still scattered about the floor. Observing it closely was Chairman Rose. He didn’t look at them when they approached. He just took a deep breath and put both hands behind his back.

“Nothing about this is simple,” he began. He still had his gaze fixed on the prison that had kept Eternatus. “It took me years to get a hold of a glimpse to the future. And that future… It wasn’t all that pretty.” He finally turned, his green eyes sad and foreboding. “Without energy, there is no power. And without power, Galar will fall back into the dark ages. I can’t let that happen. Even if the Champion himself doesn’t care, I do.”

 _Leon is in on this?_ It wasn’t the first time Eliana had asked herself that, but the last couple times she had denied the fact. But now it was as clear as day. This was why Leon disappeared last night. It was why he was talking with Rose during that time. But why would Leon help with something so dangerously stupid after finding out that the Darkest Day had nearly destroyed Galar all those years ago? Why would he _do_ this?

The final rational thought in Eliana’s mind after that was, _He betrayed us. Leon’s going to make it worse._

“Hop! We need to get to the tower!” she called.

“I don’t believe that’s an option,” came Rose’s calm voice. “I won’t allow you to stop Galar’s shining future.”

“Your ‘shining future’ consists of eternal darkness and suffering,” Eliana growled icily. “Eternatus is going to destroy everything.”

“Eternatus is your _god_.”

That angered even Palkia. The dragon gave a mighty roar as he burst out of his ball, towering over Rose with such a fury that it could knock everyone on their feet. Though the Chairman didn’t even flinch, looking Palkia in the eye with a tired expression.

 ** _My father is your true god, ungrateful human,_** Palkia hissed. **_That_ thing _is a demon; Those who follow him will surely face Arceus’ judgement._**

Eliana and Hop gasped. Though Hop didn’t know as much as Eliana did about this, he still knew that Arceus’ judgement was the term used for someone being sentenced to hell. Eliana took it as much more than that. If as many people followed Eternatus as she thought, then Arceus wouldn’t stop his fury at just one — he’d unleash Judgement Day upon the entire world.

Rose still seemed unfazed. Turning slightly to face Hop and Eliana, he tossed a pokéball lazily in one hand. Hop went to oblige to the invitation of a battle, but Eliana stopped him.

“You got the last one,” she said sternly. “It’s my turn.”

Hop shrugged, taking a step back as Eliana let out her Lucario. If she learned anything from fighting Macro Cosmos at Rose Tower, it was that they all used steel-types.

Sure enough, Rose countered by releasing Escavalier. A steel-bug, so it would only be weak to fire. Either way, Lucario would still be useful in some way. But then, for some odd reason, the wolf retreated back to his ball.

“What—” Eliana began but was cut off by Palkia.

 ** _I’ll be battling this time,_** he growled. He had already taken a battling stance.

So, a fourteen-foot god was fighting a couple of steel-types. Seems legit.

And even with these impossible odds, Rose still persisted. “Drill Run,” he ordered calmly. The Escavalier screeched, its joust-like arms glowing a bright white. It shot forwards with no hesitation, only to be swiftly knocked aside by a whack of Palkia’s tail. The dragon still didn’t make any moves, looking to Eliana for guidance.

 _You’re a literal god,_ she argued. _You choose your own path._

**_I am your pokémon, correct? I intend to act like I am._ **

And so Eliana took a deep breath, trying to plan her attack strategy. The lucky thing about having a telepathic connection with Palkia was that her opponent wouldn’t have to hear her call for a move.

_Aura Sphere!_

Palkia summoned an orb of light in his mouth, blasting it at Escavalier at full force. With so much strength, there was no surviving that critical hit.

The next one to be called out was Ferrothorn. Like the last, it was a steel-type. Another Aura Sphere was quickly applied, leaving the Ferrothorn unconscious before it even knew what the hell was going on.

**_Give up! It’s no use!_ **

Rose ignored Palkia’s rational plea, bringing out now two pokémon: Perrserker and Klinklang. Maybe he thought that two against one were better odds for his side.

It wasn’t.

_Hydro Pump!_

Palkia roared, forming water out of nowhere and twisting it into a large sphere before hurling it forwards in a massive pressurized beam. The area around them was bombarded in droplets of water, wetting the floor and making it slick. Seeing this disadvantage, Palkia now began to hover. Perrserker didn’t have it as easy, though, for when he went to land a blow with Fury Swipes, he slipped and fell flat on his face. With no hopes of getting anything through, the cat retreated to his Trainer’s side. Rose didn’t mind. If anything, he looked oddly pleased.

“That’s a mighty fine pokémon you’ve got there,” he praised.

“It’s a literal deity,” Eliana retorted.

“Too bad Arceus would be angry to see you now.”

Something flashed in Rose’s eyes in a way that made Eliana freeze for a moment. It was as if they had whited over. Was Eternatus still in his mind?

_Palkia. He’s not himself; don’t be too rough._

**_I’ll do my best to contain my anger._ **

Finally, Rose’s Copperajah was introduced. The already massive pokémon was intimidating, but nowhere near as frightening as Palkia.

As for being Gigantamaxed — now, _that_ was a bit of an issue. But nothing that a god couldn’t handle.

Eliana suddenly had an idea. “Hop, you’re smart, right?”

Hop blinked in surprise. “Sure?”

“Do you know if legendaries can dynamax?”

He thought for a moment. “Well, Sonia’s certainly looked into it,” he replied slowly, “but she’s never encountered a legendary before. So there’s no way of knowing.”

“Guess we’ll just have to try it and see if it works.” Eliana recalled Palkia to his ball, letting the energy that had been collected from her Wishing Star envelop it so that it could be transferred. As soon as the ball had expanded, she tossed it once in her hand before chucking it over her shoulder. Seconds later, Palkia reappeared. Not only had he increased drastically in size, he had also gained a slightly new form.

“Sonia would definitely flip if she was here,” Hop laughed breathlessly.

Indeed, Palkia looked much more godlike than ever before. He gave a mighty and ear-shattering roar, making the entire power plant chamber shudder. The pearls situated on the dragon’s shoulders were now intensely glowing, as if the dynamax energy was being held inside.

Eliana was stricken with disbelief. She didn’t expect that to work. Either way, it was definitely going to prove well in this battle.

“Spacial Rend!”

The pearls now glowed even brighter. Palkia’s entire left arm was encased in a blinding pink light, and he hurled a rift of energy at Copperajah. It seemed like the room warped for a minute before it hit. The energy had truly distorted the space-time continuum.

 ** _Worry about discovery later, child,_** Palkia boomed. **_We’ll deal with it when the problem approaches. For now, we have an apocalypse to prevent._**

•••

A blast of energy echoed throughout the tower summit, causing Leon’s ears to ring afterwards. He took a wary step back, a little perturbed by how powerful the thing before him really was.

Eternatus screeched. It was enough to make both Leon and Raihan’s vision to go blurry. It was worse for Raihan at the moment because he was absolutely bombarded with so much Dragon Aura that he could hardly function properly. The gym leader had gotten somewhat used to it at this point, though with every one of Eternatus’ attacks, the aura got stronger. He was shaking like a leaf, though he persisted to hold himself together.

The black crystals that made up Eternatus’ body began glowing an eerie red again. Leon braced himself for the beam of concentrated power that was about to be unleashed. Charizard had blocked the hit last time. But could his partner really do that again? The dragon was already nearly toppling over at this point, though he would fight to the end if he had too.

And that was the worst bit about it.

Sure enough, Charizard leapt in front of the two along with Flygon to endure the hit. It lasted for a good couple seconds before the beam receded. Flygon had taken the most of it this time, so Charizard was still on his feet.

“Why don’t you dynamax?” Raihan shouted over the noise of the rushing winds. He put an arm out to protect himself from the blistering gales.

“It’s sucking up all the energy! It’s impossible!”

Every time Leon had gone to do this, the energy had been practically inhaled by Eternatus like it was a drug. Afterwards, it had grown slightly stronger. Therefore, Leon concluded that attempting to dynamax would only worsen the situation.

“Flamethrower, Charizard!”

As Charizard hurled the plume of fire, Flygon also unleashed a very powerful Dragon Breath at Raihan’s command. The two attacks combined, creating a purple fire that struck Eternatus with a very destructive force. And yet the creature still seemed strong as ever. It hardly had a single scratch.

“This is useless. Where are they?” Raihan demanded as he issued another attack.

Leon frowned. It had been a decent amount of time since Eliana and Hop had left for Hammerlocke. The aura over the city had diminished a little, so it had apparently worked so far. But why hadn’t they come back yet?

“Lee, look!”

His attention was brought back to Eternatus. Or rather, the absence of said pokémon. It had gone higher into the sky, giving another alien howl as it circled above. After a couple laps, it suddenly shot for the south and away from the tower.

Leon looked at Raihan, fear and confusion in both their gazes. It must have known that someone was interfering. And if Eliana wasn’t lucky, she and Hop would be dead within minutes. Leon shuddered at the thought. He had to make sure they were going to be okay.

And yet Raihan stopped him by grabbing him by the arm. “Leon, we should stay here. In case it comes back,” he reasoned.

Leon furrowed his brow, but remained where he was nonetheless. “But if they…” He stopped himself, not even daring to think of it.

“Babe, they’ll be alright. They’ve got Palkia,” Raihan reassured him.

 _Babe_ was a new one. Leon blinked a couple times in response to that, relaxing a little. But what if Palkia wasn’t enough? What if they needed more? Another legendary, perhaps. Something like…

•••

“The Sword and Shield!” Hop finished, practically bouncing on his feet. “They’ve got to help us!”

“But they’re constantly on the move. They’re not always in just one spot,” Eliana tried, but her words wither didn’t reach Hop or he just ignored them.

They were now outside the Hammerlocke Stadium. Rose had suffered an inescapable defeat, finally accepting the fact that there was nothing he could do to stop them from trying to set things right. He had stayed behind, but he had acted different as soon as Copperajah had been brought down. It was almost like he had just got to think for the first time in ages. His eyes had widened in surprise (not because of his defeat, but of something else entirely) and he had let out a small gasp.

Little did Eliana know that this was the same time that Eternatus had fled Rose Tower.

“Then where do you suggest we go?” she asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Hop pointed to the south, his golden eyes brimming with determination. “The Slumbering Weald. That’s where I saw Zacian the first time.”

Hop went on to explain the encounter, acting out every moment to the best of his ability. Eliana rolled her eyes playfully, watching with an amused expression. But soon her attention was brought to a red figure in the distance.

“Hey, did it just get all foggy or something?” Hop wondered aloud, pausing his story to take a look around.

“Don’t move,” Eliana whispered. She nodded towards the wolf-like figure in the midst of the fog.

Zamazenta slowly turned his head to fix them with his fierce golden gaze. He then turned to bound away in the direction of the Wild Area.

“Wait!” Eliana couldn’t stop herself before going after him, running as fast as she could. Just as she reached the entrance to Hammerlocke, the Shield stopped. She met him at his side, heaving for breath. “Why are you running away?”

Zamazenta didn’t reply. He just stared, almost like he was looking right through her. Skeptically, Eliana reached out to touch him, filled with dismay when the legendary’s figure melted away into mist.

But then it reappeared again yards away, slowly going to run for the south again.

Hop caught up to Eliana, watching the figure disappear into the thick fog. “Why’s it going off to nowhere?”

“I think Zamazenta wants us to follow him.”

“Zamazenta?”

Eliana looked at him in bewilderment. “Wasn’t it obvious?”

“I thought it was Zacian. He was blue, after all.”

That made Eliana’s mind go _hold up._ If she had seen Zamazenta while Hop had seen Zacian in his place at the same exact time, then what on earth did that mean? That they were only destined to see one or the other? Her mind reeled to the point where she put a hand on her head.

“I am _so_ confused. But I’m not going to question it.” She took a deep breath, releasing Palkia again. “I’ve learned that the hard way. Did you say Slumbering Weald?”

The two took off for the air again. This time Hop at least let her breathe, lessening his grip once they had achieved a steady pace. He was still shivering in fear, glancing down once in a while before yelping and going to hug his friend tighter. Eliana didn’t mind. She was more focused on other things than worry about suffocating in Hop’s grasp.

It was a while before the rolling fields and Wooloo pens of Wedgehurst and Postwick were seen. The forest of the Slumbering Weald and beyond into the mountains and oceans covered the horizon. If the storm clouds of the Darkest Day hadn’t been there, the sky would have been clear as crystal, able to show every single star and the full moon in all its glory. But alas, the Darkest Day was here. Therefore, the sky was covered in blood-red storm clouds. It was a terrifying sight to behold.

But not as terrifying as what they were about to witness.

Hop pointed to a small opening in the forest’s canopy. “There! That’s the altar!”

“Hold on…” Eliana looked behind her, for she could have sworn she had just heard something. The air pressure had also changed.

She screamed when she saw Eternatus barreling towards them at full speed.

“Palkia! Down!”

The dragon bellowed, showing no mercy nor giving any warning when diving straight down for the trees. Eternatus skimmed over them just barely, circling back around to go after them again. Hop was screaming, almost crying in terror, while Eliana did her best not to do the same.

They landed roughly on the grassy floor below the leaves, both humans tumbling off of Palkia before the dragon crumpled to the ground. Eternatus hovered over the spot they had crashed through, giving an angry screech. It wasn’t until Palkia raised his head to shoot a warning Aura Sphere did it retreat, leaving to skyrocket back to Rose Tower.

Hop and Eliana clung to each other on the ground, too petrified to make a single movement. They only felt safe enough when Palkia got too his feet again, giving himself a good shake to remove the leaves and branches that clung to his scales.

 ** _I miss having no trees in my dimension,_** he reminisced. **_I miss having no_ anything _to run into except the hoards of Unown._**

He gave the two a worried sniff. Eliana let out a breath she had been holding, reaching out to stroke the dragon gently. Hop finally loosened his grip, yet he was still curled up around himself with his eyes wide open like he had just seen the absolute most terrifying thing in the world.

In a way, he had just seen that.

He was now whispering incoherent things to himself, closing his eyes and taking deep breaths. Eliana assumed that this was his stress relief routine, so she let him be to calm down.

Getting to her feet, she took in the beauty of the forest around her. It was quiet albeit the cries and calls of the wild pokémon. There was a mystic sort of aura to it, and it gave Eliana both a feeling of dread and relaxation. They were on a path, on which one way led to Postwick and the other to an unknown area. An old bridge could be seen in the foggy distance.

“Is that the way to the altar?” she asked Hop, who jumped at her voice.

He sat up to follow her gaze, nodding. “I’ve only been there once. But I’ll never forget the experience,” he replied quietly.

 ** _I’ll stay here,_** Palkia offered. **_If it comes back, I’ll give him something to remember me by._**

“Scared?” Eliana teased.

The dragon sniffed disdainfully. **_I am just tired. It has been a long time since I’ve used so much power._**

A snapping branch made the three jump. They turned to the noise. Not a single sound could be heard as they all stared into the orange-yellow eyes of the Sword and Shield. The two wolves were side by side, skewering them with fierce gazes.

Zacian was the one to step forwards, though he passed Eliana in order to reach Hop instead. “You’ve changed,” the Sword said calmly. “Not a lot of humans see their flaws in order to overcome them.”

Hop didn’t know whether to take that as a compliment or not. He couldn’t reply anyways, for he was breathless as the legendary came so close that their noses could have touched.

“But that does not make you the Chosen One. A hero must first prove themselves worthy to gain our assistance.” Zacian was now looking at Eliana. “It is only when you prove that you are pure of heart with a clear mind do we consider helping.”

Zamazenta nodded in agreement. But as he went to add on to these words, Eliana beat him to it.

“But you saved Raihan,” she argued.

Zacian narrowed his eyes. “There is more to his existence than you believe,” he replied sternly.

“What the hell does that mean?”

The Sword didn’t reply. Instead, he turned to meet Zamazenta’s side again. His elder brother followed him deeper into the fog, disappearing from sight.

Hop was already chasing after them. Eliana had to break into a sprint at first to catch up. “Hop, wait!”

But the younger had already skidded to a halt. He was now staring at a misty arch, squinting to get a better look at it. Moving closer, the mist receded to reveal the stone altar. He crouched down to pick up a large, stone object. He let out a gasp.

“Is it?” Eliana asked, bending down to pick up the other.

Hop nodded. “I think so.”

In their hands lie the precious relics of the Sword and Shield, Zacian and Zamazenta’s source of true power. Had they not been so exhilarated to find them in the first place, they would have been pained to see that the relics were hardly holding together. The sword was half-broken, while the shield had so many nicks and cracks in it that Eliana felt that it would break at the first contact.

“So it’s useless then,” she said sadly. “They’re too broken to be useful of anything.” As if it had reacted to her words, a chip from the shield fell to the ground.

Hop frowned. “We should take them. You know, just in case. I wouldn’t hurt to try, would it?” he reasoned. Without waiting for a reply, he tried stuffing the relic into his bag. Eliana rolled her eyes at his feeble attempts, but did the same for herself. The stone object added a large amount of weight to her load, but she did her best to ignore the change.

They decided not to question the sudden disappearance of the legendaries. They didn’t _have_ time to elaborate on it. Through the forest’s canopy the clouds from the source of the Darkest Day had stretched to cover what was left of the night sky. The land was now shrouded in a red mist, and the wild pokémon had gone eerily silent.

“We should go,” Eliana suddenly stated. “I have a feeling that Leon’s going to lose a lot more than his sense of direction if we don’t help.”

Hop widened his eyes. He knew Eternatus was dangerous, sure, but the thought of his brother actually dying to the experience was a little nauseating to think about. His gut clenched in fear.

And so they met back up with Palkia, heading back to Rose Tower as fast as possible.

•••

“Catch it!”

Eternatus let out an anguished scream, toppling over a little in his hovering flight. The creature had just returned after its fit, though it was a little taken back by a surprise Dragon Pulse combined with a Dragon Breath from Flygon and Charizard. Therefore, Eternatus was unexpectedly weakened.

But could it be weakened enough to capture?

Leon tossed an empty pokéball in his hand, readying himself to throw it. He heard the _thump_ from Palkia’s landing and the footsteps of Hop and Eliana. Not looking back, he rolled his shoulder and then threw the ball with all his might. A tense moment passed as the dragon was sucked into the object with a bright blue flash. It fell to the ground, rocking once.

Leon held his breath. Raihan bit his bottom lip in anticipation, drawing blood. Eliana and Hop stopped running into the scene, a little wary.

The pokéball didn’t rock again.

“Get down!” Leon hollered, and Charizard shot forwards to defend the others from the blast that was about to occur. But it left him unprotected, and he did his best to endure the shockwave that transpired. Eternatus burst from the pokéball, the energy from the blast making Leon go light-headed. He fell to one knee, feeling drained of all his strength. Suddenly the only sound he heard was the blood rushing in his ears. He felt Raihan rush over to him, saw him shout his name, but didn’t hear a single sound.

The last thing he saw before the darkness washed over him was Eternatus’ dead white gaze.

“Leon!”

The wind rushing through the summit of the tower was rough. Eliana’s face stung from the bitter coldness of it and how her hair whipped at her skin. Even her black leather jacket didn’t do her any justice against the freezing air. The entire glass ceiling of the building was shattered thanks to Eternatus’ rampage, which was why the wind was here in the first place. If the typhoon of storm clouds over Hammerlocke was bad enough, the ones that hung over Rose Tower were tenfold the usual intensity. Red lightning flashed, the black and crimson clouds licked by their electrical energy.

Hop was currently on the verge of tears. _Leon’s down. Did he die? Is that why Raihan’s crying? Am_ I _going to die?_ Indeed, Raihan was bent over Leon, sobbing his heart out. He also seemed to be very weak.

It was the Dragon Aura that was draining him. It was becoming too much. After that blast, the aura had doubled its power, and now Raihan was seeing stars in his vision. Though he couldn’t tell if it was just his eyes or actual sparks of energy that had fallen from the sky. He wouldn’t be of much help anymore.

Palkia shot forwards to land a Spacial Rend on Eternatus. The other creature wailed in pain. At least that had done something. Though Eternatus still prevailed. It was as though the marks from the attack had disappeared, along with the weakness it had caused.

Eliana sent out Garchomp and Inteleon, immediately going to mega evolve her dragon. Inteleon was very surprised that she was chosen for this battle in particular, though she had no time to complain when she was commanded to use Snipe Shot.

Hop reciprocated, sending out Corviknight and Cinderace. They were his strongest pokémon by far, so he felt like they had to at least do some damage. If he was going down, he would go down fighting. At least he would be useful for one thing in his life.

With their four pokémon and Palkia at their side, there was no way they were going to lose. Right?

Eternatus roared in fury. “It’s no use to fight,” he growled. “You should leave now before you get hurt.”

“Strange to hear mercy from a god of destruction,” Eliana hissed back. “Garchomp, Dual Chop! Liquidation, Inteleon!”

“Then PERISH!”

The dragon’s body was encased entirely in a rose-red light, its core glowing a blinding white. The energy pulsed upwards and formed again at the mouth. Eternatus then unleashed a huge beam of draining power at his opponents.

Palkia threw himself into the beam’s path, blocking off most of the attack’s damage for the other pokémon. Though he was now weakened, the legendary performed a Hydro Pump, which Eternatus hardly was fazed by.

“It’s a dragon-type!” Raihan hollered. It was the most he could do for help. “Garchomp has a better chance than Inteleon or Cinderace!”

And so Hop recalled Cinderace just as Eliana did the same to Inteleon. Corviknight and Garchomp still remained, throwing attacks like there was no tomorrow. Even mega evolved, Garchomp’s moves were still weak against Eternatus’ stone-like body.

Then, finally, after what felt like eons, Eternatus gave one final howl of pain before crashing to the ground with a huge _thump_. Everyone cheered (except for Leon, because he’s out like a light and all). Eliana and Hop high-fived, exchanging triumphant shouts.

“Thank Arceus!” Hop breathed. He gave a nervous laugh, then frowned. He looked back at his brother, who was just blinking his eyes back open in Raihan’s arms.

“W’ happen’? Did we win?” he slurred, still weak.

A low rumble answered him. All four of them turned to where Eternatus lied unconscious. That is, where he _used_ to lie. Now the creature was back in the air, glowing with a ruby outline. Eternatus screeched, transforming into a large orb of light before blasting into the skies. As he reached the eye of the storm, the light flashed before revealing what seemed to be an evolutionary occurrence.

Eternatus was still glowing white, though his form was changing drastically. He became so huge that his entire form could have constricted around the tower a hundred times before crushing it under his weight. His head split into five, like a giant grasping hand.

It had just dynamaxed.

“We’re never going to win against that!” It was Eliana who said it, giving a mourning wail before stepping back to accept her fate.

“No,” Hop replied sternly. For once in his miserable life, he wasn’t going to lose. “The Sword and Shield. They have to be worth something.”

And so he unsheathed the relic from his bag, pointing it at Eternatus. Eliana scoffed in disbelief.

“What in the name of Arceus is that thing going to do against—” She was cut off when she saw the broken sword begin to glow.

The shield she carried was also glowing. One blue, the other red. She took it out, only for it to float out of her hands.

Without warning, two distant figures of light were now barreling towards the summit behind Eternatus. An eerie and sonorous howl ripped through the sound of the wind blowing and the growls of the massive being in the sky. Within a split second, the lights crashed in front of Hop and Eliana, receding to reveal none other than Zacian and Zamazenta.

“No!” Eternatus screed. “Impossible!”

The sword and shield relics met each other above them, shooting beams of energy at the pokémon that had wielded them. And moments later, they had changed. Zamazenta’s front was now protected by a giant golden shield, and Zacian now carried a behemoth sword to match. The two had also gained armor, their fur color brightening and becoming richer.

“You’re a fool to take Galar’s future from its people!” Zamazenta howled. Zacian only growled in affirmation, seeing as his mouth was preoccupied with the sword.

Hop and Eliana exchanged baffled and astounded glances. _That actually worked,_ Hop laughed to himself, not wanting to say it out loud only to have Eliana swat him on the head.

“The Chosen Ones have shown themselves. The Heroes of Galar shall defeat you again, just as they did three thousand years ago,” Zamazenta continued. He and Zacian shared a determined glare, then both released a war cry. It was a howl, and it was even more beautiful than the others that the Trainers had witnessed.

Eternatus bellowed in rage, unleashing another blast of energy, though this one was much more powerful. So powerful that even Palkia was brought falling to the ground. Just before it hit the others, Zamazenta leaped forwards, protecting them from the blast with his shield.

Zacian bounded over him, spinning midair while his sword absorbed more metal. Once it had fully formed, he touched the ground for only a second before jumping forwards to slice the blade across Eternatus’ body. The dragon screamed in agony, a large chunk of its crystal body falling.

As the legendaries fought, Eliana didn’t stop there. She ordered Garchomp to continue attacking, which urged Hop to do the same with Corviknight. Now even Charizard and Flygon had joined the battle, fighting with every ounce of their being in order to avenge their Trainers, who were now watching with baffled stupor. Leon had never felt so proud of Hop before. Who would have known that his brother would be one of the Heroes of Galar, destined to be partnered with the legendary Sword?

Eternatus could only unleash a few more beams of energy before he had weakened to the point where he couldn’t do any more. Zamazenta had protected them from the attacks thus far, while Zacian and the other pokémon fought side-by-side in order to bring the destructive god down to his (metaphorical) knees.

Now, as Eternatus was heaving for breath and practically begging for mercy from the Sword and Shield, Hop turned to Eliana. “Now’s your chance! Catch it!”

Eliana shook her head. “You should. You deserve it.”

He smiled warmly at that, taking an ultra ball from his pocket and taking a deep breath before using his dynamax band to enlarge it. He then threw it at Eternatus, golden eyes flaring with hope.

Eternatus screeched in disbelief as it was once again encapsulated inside a pokéball. The massive ball fell, creating a dent in the steel floor when it hit. Hop closed his eyes and prayed. It rocked once. Eliana crossed her fingers. Twice. Raihan squeezed Leon’s hand for reassurance. Thrice. Leon let out a shaky breath, filled with both fear and faith.

The pokéball shrank to its normal size, a click echoing throughout the summit, signaling that Eternatus had been captured successfully. Zacian and Zamazenta howled their approval, the four Trainers giving their shouts of victory and relief. The other pokémon cried in delight.

“Behold! The true defeat of Eternatus!” Zamazenta barked.

Zacian turned to Hop, sheathing his sword in his long mane. “A splendid success, my boy. You truly are worthy.”

The Sword and Shield bowed to him. They _bowed_. Hop laughed breathlessly, not believing what he was seeing. His eyes must be deceiving him. He was just a nobody; some random kid that was cursed with the weight of being the Champion’s brother on his shoulders. He was weak, not powerful. It should be Eliana they bowed to, not him.

_Why me?_

And yet he couldn’t help but feel the happiest he had ever felt in his entire life. Just meeting the Sword and Shield, let alone battling alongside them, was victory enough. And now he owned none other than Eternatus. He considered himself lucky to be that one person, destined as the Sword’s Hero and holder of Eternatus. He considered himself lucky that he had gone through so much and survived. He considered himself lucky to have found love in his journey. Most of all, he considered himself lucky to be Leon’s brother. He was honored to be who he was.

Zamazenta now faced Eliana. “I feel that this won’t be our last meeting,” he said softly to her.

Eliana grinned. “So do I.”

Then, without further ado, the wolves bid their farewell and were one in the blink of an eye.

“Hop.”

Leon was on his feet now, albeit shakily, and walked forwards to meet his brother. He was beaming with pride as he pulled Hop in for a massive hug.

“Arceus, don’t you _ever_ do anything like that again,” he scolded playfully.

“Right. I forgot I could control the bloody universe,” Hop replied with an exasperated sigh.

Eliana joined the hug, which prompted Leon to call Raihan over as well.

“Nah, I’m not one for—” he began but his words were cut off with a surprised shout when Leon pulled him in anyways. He sighed in defeat, rolling his eyes and accepting the show of affection.

The clouds of the Darkest Day receded, allowing the night sky to be revealed. It was as clear as crystal, with billions of stars splattered across a canvas of midnight blue. The moon held high and large in the east, casting a warm glow on the region. All was calm and well again, and even the Rookidee were flying back to what was left of their nests in the rafters. To make things more perfect, an aurora formed, slicing the sky open with a rainbow of colors. Only in Galar and Jhoto could this be seen. It was considered a very rare and lucky sight if it occurred in any other region.

Eliana let out a relaxed sigh. Maybe the last days of her vacation wouldn’t be that bad after all.


	16. A Hop, Skip, and a Jump to Success

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Championship Match is back full swing, and Hop decides to do some last-minute training. He's still convinced that he won't win, though. Eliana is torn by the fact that she has to leave soon.

Three days passed since the events of the Darkest Day. Since the Championship Cup Finals had been interrupted, Leon had ordered that they be held today in order to see who came out on top.

It had been quite peaceful in these few days, in which Hop had spent each moment training to prepare for the battle against his brother. Of course it was also the perfect time to train Eternatus. The dragon was quite reluctant at first, still infuriated at his defeat, but he finally accepted his fate and began fighting alongside Hop’s other pokémon.

The Finals were due to begin again in four hours. Hop found himself preparing at the last minute, knowing that every bit of sweat meant another second he would be able to survive Leon’s full force. Though today’s training had gone quite different since he was being guided by someone different than most times. Since Eliana was busy helping Raihan and Leon prepare the stadium, Hop had asked Bede to help him.

“C’mon, you’ve got to put more effort into it!” Bede sighed in exasperation, which was a pretty normal thing for him to do at this point. He was absolutely peeved by how the hell Hop had made it this far with a strategy like this, so he was trying his best to fix it. After his time spent in Opal’s Fairy Boot Camp, he knew exactly how to convince people to push just a bit further to reach victory.

Hop growled to himself, gritting his teeth. He had been at this for six hours, up since the crack of dawn to try new techniques. Bede was so insufferable at this point that he was about to smack that smug grin off his face out of anger.

“I’m _trying_ ,” Hop whined.

Bede’s Hatterene quickly dodged another attack from Pincurchin. She had grown quite fed up with this act, as she had been used as a punching bag for half the training exercise. She was relieved to hear her Trainer order her to dodge any attack possible.

Pincurchin was painfully slow. This was what the whole exercise was about — speed. If something like Pincurchin or Snorlax attacked first, it would certainly surprise their opponent like an Astonish.

“Hatterene, put this poor grub out of its misery,” Bede sighed.

Hatterene only had to flick Pincurchin off her shoulder (for it had been gnawing at it for the past few minutes) in order to knock it out. The poor thing was that exhausted.

Hop groaned in defeat. “I’ll never get this right,” he said disdainfully.

Bede narrowed his eyes. “Say that again.”

“I’ll never get this right,” Hop repeated, stretching each word out sarcastically. “This is useless. Snorlax won’t be able to move fast enough. Neither can Pincurchin!”

“Hop.”

Bede’s sudden stern tone made him flinch. Shit just got real.

“The most you can do is try,” Bede reasoned. “Just think; If you do end up getting this right, Leon would be terrified to even look at a Snorlax ever again.”

Hop sniffed in amusement, letting a small smile play on his lips. He recalled Pincurchin, letting out Snorlax. The large pokémon yawned, still tired from the last bout of training it had done.

“No. Bring out Eternatus.”

Hop’s eyes shot open. “You’re sure? You’ll be—”

“Bring him out.”

He blinked, doing as he was told. Snorlax was put back in his ball, replaced with the colossal Eternatus. The dragon shook itself out, happy to be out of its confinement.

“This one has a death wish,” he chuckled.

Bede wasn’t fazed by the threat. “Hatterene, Psyshock.”

The pokémon complied, hurling a beam of pink light at Eternatus. The dragon hissed, dodging it and fixing Hatterene with a cold white gaze. Without any consent from his Trainer, he unleashed Dynamax Beam, though Hatterene wasn’t affected due to it being a fairy-type.

“That’s why,” Bede said stiffly. “You can’t even control your own pokémon.”

“I can control him!” Hop retorted. For emphasis, he looked up at Eternatus and ordered, “Venoshock!”

Eternatus used Hyper Beam instead.

“Oh for the love of… You’re not helping!”

Eternatus merely chuckled in response. He just loved torturing Hop, as it brought him a rare feeling of joy in this now cursed life he led. He was saddened when he was brought back into his ball.

“You need to be more stern,” Bede explained.

“Stern how? He’s a literal god!” Hop recoiled.

The other bit back a sharp retort, trying his best to keep his cool. He let out a sharp exhale, walking right up to Hop and placing a firm grip on his shoulders. “Tell me you love me,” he demanded.

Hop frowned in confusion. “I love you?”

“There. Assertive. Gets you your way every time.”

He was still a little lost, tilting his head. “But I said it because I _do_ love you.”

Bede stuttered angrily, nostrils flaring. “You — I can’t believe… You’re dense as a Geodude, you know that, right”

“Yep.”

“Good Arceus.” He took another breath. “Infuriating. Absolutely bullheaded. That’s what you are.”

“Hey!” Hop protested.

“What? What do you have to say about that?” Bede bared his teeth.

Hop hesitated, biting his tongue. If he said the wrong thing, he’d get himself slapped to Kanto.

“Go on. Speak, dammit!”

“You’re a jerk. For someone who trains fairy-types, you’re an absolute asshole.” Bede blinked at that, for it was the first time that he had heard Hop cuss. “ _You’re_ infuriating. And yet I still love you. I know that you’re a better person than what you make everyone think you are. You’re—”

His words were interrupted when Bede landed a surprise kiss on his lips. He yelped in surprise, but melted into it nonetheless. After a few moments, Bede pulled back, wiping his mouth with the sleeve of his coat.

“How’s that for infuriating?” he questioned sardonically.

Hop rolled his eyes, leaning forwards to rest his head on Bede’s chest. He closed his eyes and listened to the other’s heartbeat, which had quickened at his actions.

They stayed there for a few minutes, just enjoying each other’s company for the time being. It was nice, to say the least. Having someone to hold in his arms gave Bede a new feeling of hope and belonging, which he had never once felt in his entire life up until recently. For the first time, he could tell himself that someone really did care. Someone really did love him. That someone may be ignorant, but they were still perfect in every way.

“So,” Bede started, breaking the silence, “Leon. You’ve seen all of his matches, right?”

Hop perked up. “Yeah. Every single one.”

“So you know his strategy, then?”

“Of course! He uses the same team every year, but I guess he’s added Rillaboom this year.” He paused to think. “Aegislash is always first. The first move Leon always uses is King’s Shield, but I never really understood the point of it.”

“King’s Shield not only deflects an attack, but makes the opponent’s attack drop gif it was a physical move,” Bede explained.

“Oh. Now I get it.”

“And now I get what I should be teaching you. Send out Cinderace. I still might be able to help you.”

•••

“You’re sure you’re feeling up to this? You look like you could turn to dust,” Eliana warned. She steadied Leon with her hand, who had just about toppled over.

“I’ll be fine,” he argued, shrugging out of her touch. “I’ve got to make the fans happy.”

Eliana gave him a disappointed scowl. “You should have pushed it another couple days. Your fans won’t be happy if they see you keel over in the middle of the battle.”

Leon had been particularly weak ever since his blackout during the battle with Eternatus. And yet he still insisted on training, sometimes to the point of passing out again at the end. Raihan was worried sick, and if he were here right now, he’d be pissed to see Leon training yet again. He had specifically told him to stay put in the hotel room until the time came to travel to Wyndon Stadium for the Finals.

And still Leon ignored his pleas, and here he was, with his Haxorus pitted against Eliana’s Absol. He didn’t realize his mistake about the matchup until it was too late.

“Dazzling Gleam!” Eliana shouted, and then the already shiny Absol began shimmering to the point where it was blinding. A fairy-type move, which was lucky enough to be super-effective against Haxorus.

A one-hit knockout, and Haxorus crumpled to his knees as he fainted. Leon cried out in agitation, recalling his pokémon.

“Leon, you can’t expect to win every match,” Eliana told him.

“That’s just the thing! I’ve won every match for the past eight years! It’d ruin me if I lost this time, especially to my younger brother.” Leon bit back a choked sob, not wanting to look stupid in front of his best friend. “It’s selfish, I know, but if I lose my role as Champion, I lose _everything_.”

Eliana blinked. She knew Leon’s Champion role was special to him, but she didn’t expect him to break down crying about it.

“You won’t lose everything,” she reasoned. “You still have a lot of things and people that matter. Just think about it for a second.” When Leon gave her a frown of confusion, she continued, “You have someone to love, don’t you? Raihan’s there for you when you need him. Hop will still love you no matter what. I’ll always be there for you, too. It’s what best friends do.”

The Champion smiled, though his tears sort of ruined his newfound happiness. “I guess that counts,” he chuckled. But he lost his smile, suddenly torn by realization. “You have to go back to Sinnoh tomorrow.”

Eliana’s heart clenched. She was hoping that they’d avoid that until she actually had to leave. She already had stretched her vacation time longer to see the Championship Match, so she was already pushing her limits. Soon enough, there’ll be Trainers wanting to battle her for her own role as Champion. She was pained to think that she had to leave Galar and her friends all over again. In a way, it was like losing a part of her soul. While she was happy in Sinnoh with its mountainous landscapes and unique lakes, Galar still had a place in her heart that she’ll never forget.

“I’ll come back next year, Champ. At least, I’ll try,” she said, attempting to lift the somber atmosphere. “Nothing’s going to stop me from coming back, not even the uprising of the God of the Underworld.”

Leon acted like he had forgotten the entire situation, sending out one of his newer pokémon. Rillaboom wasn’t one he was familiar with, so it was a bit of a problem considering that he was connected with all his other team members. He decided that now was a good time as any to create this connection.

Eliana reciprocated, sending out Inteleon. By the look on Leon’s face, she knew that she had done at least something right.

“I thought you’d mastered type matchups,” he boasted.

“I’m just giving you a head start, hotshot.”

And then the battle began again.

•••

Zacian stepped to the edge of the cliff, letting the wind blow through his fur. He was alone for the time being. He had snuck off from his brother’s side to observe the battle that was about to take place here in Wyndon. Though he was still very far from the stadium, his sharp eyes could allow him to see everything that took place inside. Though no battle was commencing now, he already knew what would happen. He could feel it.

He had regained many of his powers when he had been reunited with his sword, including his starsight. Starsight was a phenomenon that very few had the ability to master. It was when the stars in the night sky opened small holes in one’s dreams so that they could glimpse into the future.

Indeed, he had seen bits and pieces of the match that was about to take place. He knew who would come out on top in the end, though he still was interested to see it all over again. The thrill of the battle was coursing through his veins even though he wasn’t the one commanding the pokémon. It was the special connection that he had formed with his Chosen One after they had been rightfully paired. He could hear his thoughts, feel his emotions and movements, sometimes even see what he saw.

It was annoying at first, with all of the anxiety and fear and sadness that had washed over him as soon as he had donned his sword. The last Hero hadn’t been so… depressed, if that was the right word he was looking for. But he supposed he had to get used to it. After all, he had to live with it until the Chosen One breathed his last breath.

“Enjoying the breeze, brother?”

Zacian turned his head slightly to acknowledge his brother’s presence. He then set his eyes upon the stadium again. “Something like that,” he replied bluntly.

Zamazenta padded to Zacian’s side, following his gaze. “Watching him again?”

Zacian merely grunted.

“I know he’s not the same, but if you just give it time—”

“I’ve already gotten over that,” Zacian snapped. “I’m just concerned. He’s very… special. It will take time to form him into a formidable Hero.”

“You shouldn’t change who he is, brother. That’s what makes him perfect. Perhaps he could teach you a lesson in compassion.” He sat down with a sigh, closing his eyes. “This girl… She is very kind. She puts others before herself, no matter the situation. I can see why she and I were meant to be together.”

Zacian snorted. “At least you know why you’re paired. Hop is so _naive._ He’s very easy to break. I need someone who is strong and can handle a little backlash; Someone who can look danger in the eye and treat it like an equal.”

“That is what he does, is it not? He confronted Eternatus. He’s the one who convinced Eliana to use the relics. He persisted to stand strong when she didn’t.” Zamazenta exhaled slowly, standing back up. “You know where I’ll be.”

He walked away, blue mane and tail trailing behind him. Zacian waited until he was gone to unsheathe his sword. He placed it on the ground in front of him, admiring the way its golden metal caught the setting sun.

 _Tell me why,_ he pleaded. _Why him? Why can’t I have someone like you, dear Chosen One?_

Like always, his questions went unanswered. Zacian stifled an agitated growl, stuffing the sword carelessly back into his mane.

“We’ll see if the future can be changed, young’un. I doubt you fate can be unsealed. If you happen to win and defy the laws of the future, then that’s when I’ll consider your partnership.”

Somewhere, his Chosen One replied to him with a brisk, _Try me._

•••

Hop would have never thought that he’d be back here, in Wyndon Stadium. He thought that his days in the League were over after the Finals. But then, they had been interrupted. So here he was now, nearly hyperventilating in fear, about to walk out into the pitch to battle his own brother, the Unbeatable Champion of Galar, who had gone undefeated for the past eight years. If he somehow won this, then he’d surely bury himself into a hole and contemplate on how the hell his luck had gotten to him last minute. If he lost, he’d still go to said hole, though he’d remain there forever.

He was even more terrified when he saw the stadium packed to the brim. Leon’s matches had always drawn attention, but this was new. Never before had a battle been this anticipated. It meant that there were even more people to watch Hop humiliate himself.

He sighed, trying to ease his stress. He ran over his strategy in his head, going over every tactic to use in whatever situation Leon put him in. Hopefully his training with Bede would pay off. If it didn’t, well, it was nice knowing you, world.

Hop tensed again when the introduction to the Championship Match began. That was his cue to walk out there, under the eyes of thousands of people.

Leon was already out there, unnecessarily introducing himself. It wasn’t like no one knew who he was, so why waste his time talking?

But then again, it did buy Hop more time to conceal his anxiety.

Finally, he reached the center of the pitch to meet his brother, who had just finished his speech. Leon smiled warmly at him, reaching out to shake his hand.

“I hope you know that this isn’t your only chance to fight me,” he told him. “There’s always next year.”

“Thanks for the confidence boost,” Hop replied resentfully.

Leon frowned slightly at his words, not meaning to make things worse. He cleared his throat. “Anyways, good luck. You’ve come a long way.”

With that, they parted to reach their respective places on the battlefield. Leon’s sponsorship cape fluttered behind him in the wind, making him appear a whole lot more cocky than he already was.

He sent out Aegislash, just like always, and the pokémon gave an alien-like cry. Its sharp sword glistened in the glare of the spotlights, purple eye narrowing to amethyst slits.

Hop sent out Cinderace, just like he was supposed to according to plan. The type matchup was in his favor, and victory against this pokémon was certain with Cinderace being his star pokémon.

Leon gave a skeptical look, not expecting this. But he didn’t falter in his stride, taking a deep breath. He threw off his cape, taking a battle stance and commanding, “King’s Shield!”

_Just like I said he would._

“Cinderace, you know what to do!” Hop yelled.

Cinderace gave a battle cry, feet sparking into fire as he sprinted forwards. Aegislash forced its shield in front of itself, expecting a physical blow, but was thrown off guard when Cinderace completely bypassed him. Then, without any warning, the rabbit landed a fiery kick to the back, where it wasn’t protected. Even Leon shouted in surprise at that. Aegislash faltered its stance, but still held on.

In the bleachers, Eliana cheered. Raihan made a feeble and sarcastic reply to it, more intent on his phone more than anything.

“I taught him that.”

Eliana turned to see Bede, who was sitting beside her. “Did you now?”

He shrugged. “Had to do something about his terrible strategy.”

Aegislash had fainted by now, Cinderace still strong and kicking. Leon immediately reciprocated, replacing his fallen partner with Rhyperior. He was planning a type advantage for his side, but was completely thrown off guard when Hop recalled Cinderace.

In the rabbit’s place stood Cramorant. Another advantage for the other side. Leon growled to himself, trying not to make himself lose his cool. After all, this was his brother, so he had an instinct to go easy. If it were Raihan, he would have gone all out by now.

“Cramorant, use Water Pulse!” Hop commanded.

“Block it!”

Rhyperior threw his arms in front of himself just as the blast of pressurized water struck. He roared, pushing forwards and cutting ff the water when he struck his arms out. After another order, he threw his fists into the ground, creating a small earthquake that summoned up a hoard of sharp stones to impale Cramorant. Though the pelican shot upwards into the sky to avoid the Stone Edge, only a mere blue feather being sliced off.

Little did Leon know that Cramorant had found himself a Pikachu to launch from his beak. The bird hurled the pokémon at Rhyperior, successfully paralyzing him.

Unable to battle, Rhyperior was recalled. Leon then sent out Haxorus. “Try having a type matchup against that, little brother!” he yelled from across the battlefield.

“I don’t need one,” Hop replied boldly. “Arial Ace!”

Cramorant’s now sharpened wings sliced at Haxorus, though they didn’t penetrate her thick scales. Recoiling, the dragon’s blades at the sides of her mouth glistened red, enlarging before lunging down to sever Cramorant’s feathers (and maybe more than that). The pelican cawed in pain, fluttering away in a flurry of its plumage. The feathers blocked Haxorus’ sight, making it hard to perceive where her opponent was or what it was doing. So she flailed around, tail thrashing and teeth clacking harshly in hopes of latching onto something. But then she was stopped with an unexpected sneeze, for a feather had landed just right on her snout. Dazed, Haxorus had no time to deflect Cramorant’s next attack.

The crowd cheered. No, they were chanting. Hop’s eyes widened as he realized that it was _his_ name that they were chanting. Galar was actually rooting for him.

“Alright, Cramorant, use Brave Bird!”

But Cramorant was struck to the ground before it could do anything. Haxorus now had him pinned, driving a harsh Dragon Claw into the bird.

Hop replaced his fallen comrade with Snorlax. Not the best choice, but it would get him somewhere. That, and the newly formed strategy would blow Leon’s mind.

“Dragon Dance!” Leon ordered, expecting it to be a while before Snorlax landed a move.

But just as Haxorus began strengthening herself with the move, Snorlax landed a very strong blow to the gut. The dragon screeched in pain, eyes flying wide open so that the whites showed. Fainting, she was replaced with Dragapult.

Hop cringed. He knew that this was where things would go downhill. He knew that physical normal-type moves wouldn’t do anything against the dragon-ghost-type. But that didn’t mean that _special_ moves didn’t.

“Hyper Beam!” he hollered.

Snorlax opened its eyes to shoot huge beams of energy at Dragapult. It was a strong move, but the dragon still remained. Leon smiled grimly, knowing that Snorlax would have to recharge itself before being able to use another move.

And so he ordered Dragapult to use Dragon Breath. Thanks to the Dreepys that resided in the pokémon’s head cavities, the move was multiplied to twice its normal power.

Snorlax was struck very harshly, and it was a wonder how it had even survived the hit. Now recharged, it unleashed another Hyper Beam.

Dragapult didn’t last that time.

Leon panicked. Hop was doing a lot better than expected. After all, he had watched every single one of his brother’s matches, studying every move and technique like they were his own. Hopefully his new addition wouldn’t be so predictable.

Rillaboom instantly struck Snorlax out of its misery, forcing Hop to bring out Pincurchin. And thanks to its type, most of its moves would be practically useless against the grass-type.

“Darkest Lariat!” Leon shouted.

Pincurchin didn’t even have time to react. It was a oneshot.

Hop still didn’t lose his confidence. He sent out Cinderace again, once again back in the green type-wise. “Pyro Ball!”

Cinderace’s feet lit on fire again. It then formed the fire into a concentrated ball, kicking it strongly right at Rillaboom. The gorilla growled in pain, but thanks to its high defense, he still survived.

Leon had a feeling that this would happen. But he had a couple new tricks up his sleeve as well. “Earthquake!”

Apparently Hop didn’t predict that. After all, why would a grass-type know a ground-type move? A super-effective hit, but one that Cinderace still powered through with.

With one more attack — a Flamethrower — Rillaboom fainted. That meant that Leon only had one pokémon left. And that pokémon was none other than Charizard.

Leon went straight to Gigantamaxing his beloved pokémon, confidently turning and chucking the large pokéball far away so that Charizard’s new size wouldn’t crush them (he wasn’t _that_ mean).

The dragon’s new form was indeed very intimidating. His wings had transformed into those of pure fire, more of the flames burning from his horns and tail. His eyes were even glowing intensely, brightening even more as it unleashed a thunderous roar.

Hop was prepared for this. He knew Leon wouldn’t be, though. So he recalled Cinderace, this time sending out something that he probably should have spent more time with. Eternatus appeared in all his forty-foot glory, standing just as tall as Charizard. The beast screeched, and instantly the energy from the recent dynamax was being sucked up into its core for more power.

Leon froze. Memories of the recent Darkest Day began flooding his mind, distracting him from the battle. He began to freak out, his new fear of Eternatus starting to take its sharp talons and drive them into his heart. _Breathe,_ he convinced himself. He then panicked even more. _How_ do _you breath?!_

In this time, Hop instructed Eternatus to use Venoshock, saving the dragon’s energy for later, where he would unleash the grand finale.

Charizard was successfully poisoned. Leon finally snapped back into reality, growling and telling his partner to use G-Max Wildfire.

It wasn’t very effective, Eternatus hardly having a scratch on him. He used a Dragon Rush as he was told, enveloped in a purple light before rushing forwards to bulldoze Charizard over. The other dragon howled in agony, still clinging onto its last breaths, wanting to make his Trainer pleased. But Leon was all but pleased. If anything, he was terrified, for he knew exactly what was coming. He could only watch as Eternatus changed its form, unleashing its signature and recently discovered move: Dynamax Beam.

Charizard’s size reduced, proving that he had indeed fainted. Leon set his partner back in his ball, turning back around to face Hop and Eternatus.

Hop stopped being enthusiastic about his unexpected and revolutionary victory when he saw tears in his brother’s eyes. Leon pulled his hat down to hide them, then made a proud smile before throwing it into the air. Th crowd’s cheers could have been heard throughout the entire region. Hop regained his breathless stature, on the verge of tears himself as he realized what he had just done.

He had just defeated the Unbeatable Champion. His own brother.

“YES! FINALLY!”

In the bleachers, Eliana and Raihan turned to look dumbstruck at Bede, who had just leaped to his feet and cheered. When he realized that he was being watched, the fairy-type trainer cleared his throat and sat down as if nothing happened.

There were no words to describe what Hop was feeling at the moment as his brother crossed the pitch to shake his hand.

“Well, you did it,” he said. It was evident that he was holding back tears by the way his voice was strained.

Hop grinned so wide that it felt like his face could split in half. “I guess I did,” he replied.

Then Leon proceeded to grab his hand and raise it into the air with his own, addressing the crowd. “Your new Champion! I hope he lives up to his legacy and makes our region proud!

The last thing Hop remembered before passing out in an emotional overload was how the crowd absolutely erupted into cheers.

“So, it really happened.”

Leon blinked out of his thoughts, turning to Eliana. “Yep,” he replied begrudgingly.

“That doesn’t that we still can’t be rivals,” Raihan intruded, hugging him from behind. Leon gasped in surprise, half-tempted to sock him ins the chin for that.

“You think he’ll be alright?” Eliana mused, looking across the lobby at Hop, who was currently speaking with Marnie and Bede.

“I’m sure he will,” Leon said. He smiled warmly, letting the pride wash over him. He then felt a worm of worry form in his gut as he saw how close Hop and Bede were standing together. He just didn’t feel like it was right to see them so close. Anything could happen. He scanned Hop’s expression, relaxing a little to see it so happy and content. Bede, on the other hand, seemed like he was suffocating on his own smugness.

“Leave him alone to celebrate, Lee,” Eliana said beside him. “He just became Champion. _We_ should be celebrating your first loss in years.”

Raihan chuckled at that, slinging an arm over Leon’s shoulder. “I wouldn’t mind a little celebration,” he growled, shooting a suggestive grin that sported his fangs. It was soon followed by an “OW! _Fuck_!” when Eliana swatted him on the backside of his head.

“There are _children_ ,” she hissed, jabbing a thumb in Hop’s direction.

Leon’s attention was glued on his brother again. He was now leaning slightly against Bede, talking the other’s ear off without a hint of hesitation. Was that a smirk on Bede’s face?

Then, suddenly, an annoyed scoff broke his rambling. “You insufferable twat!”

Hop yelped when Bede lunged for him, darting away for safety. Bede caught him by the collar of his shirt, pulling him in to stare into his golden eyes with a _very_ pissed glare. He went to say something bitter, but was cut off when Hop planted an unexpected kiss on his lips. It was enough to stun him, giving Hop the chance to run for the hills.

“Oh, you little — Get back here!”

And thus the two wrestled to the ground, Hop laughing and wheezing for breath as Bede mercilessly tickled his sides. “Stop! I’m gonna pee!” he gasped, writhing to get away.

Leon watched this scene with a mixture of emotions. He liked seeing his brother so happy, but did Bede really have to act like that? He wanted to say something about it, but a tug on his shirt brought his attention back to his friends.

“They’ll be fine. Come on,” Eliana prompted, giving Leon no time to protest when she practically dragged him along with her, Raihan trailing behind.

The morning air felt nice and warm, the sun shining brightly on Galar’s beautiful landscape. Wyndon was strangely quiet for being the morning after the Championship Match, but that didn’t mean that there wasn’t that much excitement.

Eliana laughed to herself, straightening her jacket. She couldn’t help but look back from where she stood at the marina, feeling a little guilty for leaving without saying goodbye. She just didn’t want to stir up any sad feelings. She hated saying goodbye.

But that didn’t mean she didn’t go unnoticed.

Just as she was about to step onto her ship, she heard a desperate call from behind her. She didn’t even get to turn around before she was nearly toppled over with a massive hug from Leon.

She coughed, trying to gather herself together. “Hey,” she greeted shyly.

Leon hadn’t come alone. Behind him was Hop and Raihan. The new Champion seemed to be holding back a waterfall of tears, trying to maintain a reasonable smile. Raihan seemed as normal as can be, but his teal eyes betrayed at least a spark of emotion deep inside.

“I thought I was going to leave without having to… you know,” Eliana tried, wiping some tears from her eyes.

Leon furrowed his brow. “I understand, but I just can’t let you leave like that. I don’t want to wait another eight years just to find out that I never had the chance to tell you goodbye.”

Eliana nodded in understanding. “I’ll be back; I promise. And maybe I’ll come back with a gift.” She winked, gesturing to her mega ring.

Her friend’s eyes widened. “Mega evolution?”

“Why not? You and Charizard’s bond is already great, so why not take it to the next level?”

“Oh, rubbish,” Raihan interjected. “How come you get a legendary _and_ mega evolution? Why am I the only one that doesn’t have anything special?”

“What am I, a Magikarp?” Leon retorted.

Raihan rolled his eyes. “That’s not what I meant,” he muttered, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“He’s just cranky because you’re leaving,” Leon explained.

“Well, I hope his mood doesn’t get any more sour.”

The cruise ship’s horn sounded. Eliana frowned, knowing that her time was up. She hugged Leon again, then gave one to bot Raihan and Hop.

“I’ll miss you guys,” she whispered, then turned to board the ship.

The cruise pulled away from the harbor. Leon finally broke down into tears, turning to sob into Raihan’s shoulder.

“There there,” he sighed, patting Leon’s shoulder.

“Oh, of all the times to leave,” Zamazenta growled. He stamped his paw into the dirt angrily, glaring at Zacian when he laughed.

“Don’t worry brother,” he chuckled. “Patience is virtue.”

Zamazenta cuffed him over the ear for that.


	17. Epilogue

“Steady. Wait for it to come closer.”

The Dreepy scuttled forwards to the oran berry, taking a skeptical bite out of it while keeping watch for intruders. Tiny as it was, it still was dangerous to mess around with when threatened.

“Wait.”

“We’ve been waiting for two hours for one to come around! I’m throwing the ball.”

“Raihan, don’t!”

It was already too late. For Raihan, at least. Someone had beaten him to it, a pokéball flying from the opposite side of the clearing and successfully capturing the Dreepy that should have been rightfully his.

“Now look what you did!”

“What _I_ did?” Leon protested. “You’re the one that dragged me out here to hunt for a Dreepy!”

“Arceus, you two are just as bad as before.”

Both of them froze. Out of the bushes came none other than Eliana, tauntingly tossing the Dreepy’s ball in her hand.

“El!” Leon rushed forwards to greet her. “Aren’t you supposed to be in Sinnoh?”

“Ah, some kid came along and kicked my ass. Garchomp sure wasn’t happy about it. I figured that since I’m finally free, I’d come back to Galar — for good this time.” Eliana smiled, tossing the ball to Raihan.

The gym leader snorted. “Showoff,” he growled, stuffing it into his pocket.

Thunder rumbled in the distance. That meant that the Wild Area was soon to be pummeled in torrential rains. While Leon and Eliana exchanged a conversation, Raihan raised his head to gaze at the dark clouds above. Something about them wasn’t natural. He could feel it. But he shrugged it off, figuring that he was just overthinking things.

But high in the stratosphere, something had gone awry. A large black dragon skewered the ground below with his crimson gaze. Still raged after all these years, Zekrom was determined to fulfill his dangerous ideals, no matter the cost.

_To be continued…_


End file.
